Melting Vale
by elfenlied1012
Summary: Now that Ruby and Weiss are together spring has come. Although dating, issues Weiss, both from her station and the White Fang stir in the background. Will the white rose stay together long enough to see summer? Snowy Vale continues in the Stand alone squeal Melting Vale part of the Vale series.
1. Chapter 1 LoveFear

Chapter 1. Love/Fear

Weiss Schnee the Heiress

"After the Faunus Wars ended, piracy remained a problem for Vale, specifically privateers hired by the former Faunus government to supplement their navy. The King of…. other allies...Vytal…" More and more Professor Oobleck's words became distant to Weiss, though her note taking never let up. Somehow she absorbed the information well enough to do that, but the Heiress was not in that class, she was elsewhere in thought thinking of her time spent at beacon, a little under a school year. So many events had occurred, yet the most relevant was the entrance of a little red rose into her life. It was the end of Summer when they had met, and Weiss had never met anyone that sickens her more. Foolish, uneducated, untamed, a fifteen year old up-jumped two years and given a leadership position on a fickle headmasters whim.

Now Ruby was one of the foremost things in her life, something she risked everything for. Fall had made them friends. Winter made them "best-friends" though Weiss had no one else close to her, but that was not enough for either of them. Weiss had felt things for Ruby, impossible things she denied and refused to accept. Feelings she had felt before sometimes for a few young girls in her life, but always something she forced down. Never bother with the impossible, but when Ruby came to her, feeling the same things Weiss had…She took the impossible risk, just waiting for the bomb to finally go off. About two months later, nothing. Ruby was there, still having Saturdays together, though more often in their room than out in town now lest they be caught. If only Weiss could take solace in the luck they had so far.

Somewhere in a thoughtful daze, a small ball of paper bounced off Weiss' shoulder. She would have shot up and given the prankster a taste of Schnee fury, but the red trip along the papers trim told her exactly who was responsible. Ruby had begun sitting in the seat right behind and above her, to better copy Weiss' notes. She shot her partner a look, but Ruby just sat there unconvincingly whistling while the professor spoke, whistling!

_'Does anyone even do that anymore?!' _Weiss thought, remembering the same guilty routine only in children's shows. With a shake of her head, she unfolded the crumpled ball of fine red trim notepad paper.

**'Hey Weiss, are you okay? You stopped taking notes.'** We're engraved in small print, Ruby wrote a bit in her free time, something that helped refine her print even if it was not nearly as graceful and Weiss' cursive. She noticed that Ruby was right. At some point in her daze she had frozen her writing, the last paragraph was still dealing with the Faunus Concordant and start of Piracy and Oobleck's lecture had already moved onto its end and the start of the new peace.

Taking a short collective sigh Weiss began to respond, unfolding the fine paper and signing below with her best cursive proper. **'I'm fine, thank you. Also stop copying my notes!**' She wasn't too terribly upset about the note copying, but Ruby would be better served formulating her own notes than writing down a carbon copy. Maybe Weiss could take a day and teach her how, the girl wasn't exactly prepared for academy level courses being just a sophomore in Signal before this. It would be a nice way to spend some time together. Though that would be discussed, for now Weiss just casually tossed her note back.

It only took a moment or so before the paper bounced its way back to Weiss' desk, crumpled up even more from a second trip. Shooting back an annoyed look to her partner, a sign that she wanted Ruby to focus on the professor, Weiss still opened her little red trimmed note admittedly interested in what her girlfriend was up to. **'Sorry! Just worried, you seem sad. Anything I can do?'** Weiss felt a mixed reaction, irritation at the note passing, displeased at knowing she let herself be an obvious distraction, and a warm sense of joy that Ruby cared enough to notice. The dolt could be a sweet sort of fool, and that made Weiss smile a tired grin.

**'I'm fine, but please stop passing notes. Pay. Attention.' **Weiss responded in kind hoping to seem stern, but not cruel. She had enough of note passing, last time had ended in trouble for her, as well as the circulation of Meow-eiss copycat pictures to find their way across school. A product of Yang's little fan art. Sliding the sheet back to Ruby, Weiss went back to work on her notes, believing the note passing was over.

Of course it wasn't.

**'Okay, Guess what?'** Ruby's next letter had below her line, the handwriting a little less steady, and a bit nervous. Weiss tried to calm down, but it was just so irritating when Ruby flat out ignored her.

**'Stop passing notes!' **Her response was put in bold; a large exclamation mark to put her position even clearer if there was any question. A quick over the shoulder pass and back to the note taking Weiss went. A few moments later, if that, a small paper ball found its way squarely on her fine stationery. Weiss almost leap up and killed her girlfriend, but instead took a short, but deep breath, deciding to read the letter before killing her.

**'I love you.'**

She did leap right onto her feet, face to face with a blushing red Ruby, whom looked nervous as all hell. "Ruby!" She had shouted, but almost in whisper. That kind of shout one does in a library that is loud enough to be ineffectual, but at least showed some sort of restraint. She wanted to shout more, but controlled herself. They had just started dating, to say something like that so early, so casually. Did Ruby have any idea what that would mean or entail for her? Still mad, but more aware that she was still in a classroom, Weiss turned as red as Ruby, who silently pointed forward as the rest of the class stared at them.

"Yes miss Schnee?" Behind her was an angry professor, same as before. Why did this always happen to Weiss. Everyone else was passing notes, yet the two times she indulged she was the one that got caught, but perhaps the shouting was more to blame.

"Nothing professor, just trying to help a classmate with her notes." Weiss quickly answered as she turned around to sit back down, red faced and more embarrassed than she ever hoped to be. Yang and Blake were laughing next to her, Jaune at least gave her a sympathetic look and Ruby seemed just as embarrassed.

"Again?" Oobleck asked, giving a look for more disappointment than anger. Somehow Weiss had made herself look bad to two of her professors all in the first year. Clearly a great accomplishment, she had never upset so many instructors so quickly. Upset and Ashamed, Weiss looked down at her short notes for the day, feeling more than a little livid with herself.

"No sir, I was… Sorry sir." She had very little to say, but Oobleck just shook his head as if to suggest there was nothing he could do then returned to his lecture as if this all had never happened. Weiss in shame made an oath never to pass notes again, as well as talking to Ruby as soon as class ends about this foolishness. Yes, Weiss would never upset her professor again; instead she would fill out her notes and ace every test he had to prove her merit.

Well until the next piece of red trimmed paper. Weiss just stared at it as the new little ball of stationary had the audacity to sit so silently on her desk. This would be it, Ruby would live or die based solely on what she had to say. A million drills, hours of homework, anything Weiss could stomach if inside this little shred of paper was not the most enlightened work she had ever laid eyes on.

**'Be careful Weiss!'** was all it said, and at that moment it was decided. Weiss' beloved girlfriend was dead woman walking as soon as class ended.

"Ruby, what was that?" Weiss asked a little accusatory in tone, her voice just above a whisper. As soon as class ended lunch began. Everyone began to empty out of class, sounding like a chattering stream of monkey's right about now. In that moment Weiss had pulled Ruby aside in a small alcove, away from the mass of future hunters and huntresses. Aside in whispers they could talk, and something this emotional Weiss needed to deal with as soon as possible

"What was what?" Ruby responded, seeming a little flush and nervous. She was doing the thing she does sometimes when the crimson huntress knew she was in trouble, nervous laugh and wandering eyes. She knew exactly what Weiss was talking about. The note passing was problem enough, but what was inside the one needed to be addressed.

"What you said. A, you've got to be more careful, and B, don't just say stuff like that, it's too early for you to mean that." Weiss didn't hate it. The idea was actually a little amazing to think about though she wouldn't admit it, but it was just not the right time. Also Weiss couldn't say the same, to her it was more than how she felt, but also what she could promise and guarantee Ruby. Truth was Weiss couldn't guarantee anything, but that she wanted to be there and together. Such a dangerous thing to say lightly.

"I did mean it though Weiss I rea-" Ruby shut herself up as soon as the shadows of a few people began to approach. It was Jaune and Pyrrha, both whom knew supposedly, though Weiss had spoken to neither about it, despite the acquaintanceship she shared with the young Mistralian. Behind them was Velvet and a member of her team whom Weiss was unfamiliar with. They most certainly did not know.

"Hey you two, we're wondering if you'd like to join us for lunch, figured our three teams should get to know each other better and all that. What do you say Ruby?"Jaune asked with an innocent smile. In truth this was mostly about Velvet. Her and most of her team did not share the same lunch, and with team Cardin and his boys stirring up trouble, Jaune had made more of an effort to include Velvet in their activities. Though Faunus still made Weiss uncomfortable, Velvet wasn't a bad girl, but being interrupted at this time by anyone made Weiss more than a little mad.

"Sure, we'd love to!" Ruby answered right as Weiss was about to say no. The young leader always wanted to become friends with Velvet, which honestly made the Heiress a little jealous, though her pride never let her show it. Ruby turned toward her with a sad sort of pleading look. Biting her tongue Weiss didn't ruin the chance for Ruby to get her new friend, instead accepted defeat and vowed not to let the previous subject go.

"Alright, where to eat then?"

The two and a half teams fit rather well across one set of tables, JNPR sat across from RWBY members with Velvet sat between Weiss and Blake, Yang of course sat next to Blake. Ruby unsurprisingly sat on the other side of Weiss to hold hands under the table. When that soft little hand intertwined with her, Weiss felt her aggravation diminish a little.

Lunch was cafeteria food, something Weiss usually ignored in favor of bringing something else in. However, in light of the company and not wishing to seem too...extravagant, she had a plate of the usual food. What proved to be trickier was eating with one hand, had her old mentors seen her eat so undignified father would have never let it go. The meal was pleasantly animate, over her time at Beacon Weiss had grown more comfortable with casual easy moments like this. Yang dominated conversation with her boisterous personality, yet shockingly Velvet spoke rather freely, though still a little anxious and unfamiliar.

What surprised Weiss most is that Velvet had mostly gravitated towards her. She was well learned, a studious researcher on dust's more mystical applications as well as wards and glyphs much like Weiss used. She was the first person to be generally interested in her family that didn't want to slander them. Instead she was more into their research and technological development.

"Were you exposed to Dust very young? I've heard that everyone in your family has a semblance related strongly to Dust manipulation?" Velvet asked along with a series of other questions about her glyphs and revolving dust usage. The curiosity was likely linked to the Faunus being a bit of a magician in combat, one of the more gifted students at Beacon.

"Yes, my father had me work with it very young, as for semblances, I suppose you're right as far as I'm aware. You know a lot about my family…" Weiss responded, not fully confident in speaking about family business with their traditional enemy, but again and again she reminded herself. _'White Fang are the enemy, not the Faunus.' _

"Sorry, I just care a lot about the research the company does, sorry if my questions are a bother." Velvet seemed a little embarrassed, even nervous, but innocent in her request. She spoke clearly, but small voiced.

"No it's alright; I'm not use to talking about Schnee business in such considerate light. There are many people who forget what good we have done for Vale and the importance of our family. I'd be fine with any question." To be worried seem silly now to Weiss, she trusted Blake implicitly, as long as it was not a family secret it didn't much matter.

"Alright, but I don't want to monopolize your time, perhaps if you have some time we can discuss this in detail. I'd also like to study some of your glyphs outside of combat; perhaps we could use the range. I have plenty of magic I could teach in turn if you have the time." Velvet replied with a light smile. She was not nearly as antisocial as Weiss expected. She was one of the better graded student's perhaps roping her into some of the study sessions with Ruby might benefit her, especially since Ruby's weakness was lacking magical abilities.

"I see no problem with that, though I expect you keep up your end. I don't ease up on anyone I train with, so better keep up." Weiss said with a proud grin, though the false superiority complex had begun to bleed out of her from long term exposure to Ruby. The soft hand that rested with Weiss' under the table squeezed her pale hand tightly. Her partner seemed a little downcast and very embarrassed as she pulled on Weiss for attention.

"Yes Ruby?" Weiss asked just above a whisper, her brow raised in confusion. Ruby just chewed on her lip for a moment, a sign she was uncomfortable in the moment. The way her silver eyes, brightened by flush cheeks, would not look up at Weiss made her seem so adorable in a childlike fashion, though acting as her surrogate parent sometimes waned on Weiss.

"We got to go study and stuff, remember…" Ruby sounded so mousey, not her usual high energy social catastrophe without a filter. Not to say the red cloaked girl was not always a little awkward and nervous, but she was at least loud. She clearly wanted to talk about something and Weiss could use some studying.

"That's right... Excuse me everyone, we have actual work to do. Rub, no lollygagging. Velvet you come find me when you're ready to practice." Weiss called out to announce her departure. She picked up her possessions turning her back to the cafeteria table. She could hear Yang and Blake whisper laughing. Let them gossip. Ruby said her goodbyes to Jaune and the other before marched off after Weiss. It was silent for a moment, walking together. One turn out of the cafeteria, another to the back area near the dorms, a small park area they had discovered just recently was set apart from the rest of the facility, empty filled with nothing, but blooming spring blossom and the red trees native to Forever Falls.

"Alright, Ruby you pulled us out of there for a reason and I'm sure it's not studying." Weiss started as soon as they turned into the tiny park, out of earshot of any spying ears. Ruby turned a shade of pink grasping onto Weiss' arm mumbling something just outside of hearing. "Ruby out with it…"

"Velvet and you seem to get along…" Ruby barely sounded, but it was enough for Weiss to hear and want to groan. She never knew her partner for having a jealous side, though the Heiress never really had friends to be jealous of. Still, Velvet really?

"And you spend quite a bit of time with Jaune." Weiss retorted, though she was never really jealous of that. Jaune was an idiot and a want-to-be heartthrob, but harmless and more than busy with the romantic tension between him and Pyrrha to ever go after Ruby. Plus Weiss was so much more attractive...maybe there was a small amount of animosity in her now that she thought about it.

"That's not the same; Jaune's a boy…" Ruby mumbled with a pout while Weiss let out a small light chuckle. Jaune being a boy made it less suspicious huh? Well in one way it did, even if it went against the normal conventions. Still just the thought was funny. Somehow despite herself Weiss was growing a sense of humor, another bad influence Ruby had on her.

"And you are not the same as Velvet. We are just getting together for mutual benefit in our courses together, we are not exactly friends." And Ruby's benefit as well. It was not like she planned to leave her girlfriend out of it. Weiss was not even that comfortable with Faunus, plus wasn't Ruby the one interested in being friends with her in the first place.

"That's how we started…" Ruby replied muffled by her own embarrassment, a sweet little pout to her expression. _'So this was what it was all about.' _Weiss thought, realizing just how much Ruby cared about their study partnership.

"No we started with me having to take care of you, Velvet can handle herself." Weiss half joked, but made sure to try and smile somewhat while saying it. Though Ruby was taller than her, Weiss still reached up and patted her head slightly, a small expression that things were fine. "It's alright Ruby, I seem to not mind it when it's you. There is nothing to fear. You Ruby Rose you are target of my affections, you dolt." Weiss meant it, despite all logic and sense.

"Now get out your notebook, it's time to study." Weiss shouted opening her own notebook, the empty page reminding her of today's little failure.

"I was just using that as cover we don't have to really study." Ruby pouted again more a fan of the two of them than the actual studying portion.

"Swallow what you chew Ruby, get out your book." Weiss snapped, sounding more like her father than she really wanted.

"But Weiss…." Ruby started, but never finished. Weiss tossed her a glare strong enough to make her choke on whatever she had planned to argue with. "Alright fine, what was class about again I was a little uhh preoccupied." Ruby added a small redness spreading across her cheeks.

"You need to stop passing notes in class!" Weiss shouted knowing exactly what was preoccupying her. They had practically missed half a class messing around. Although to be fair, Weiss wasn't exactly paying attention either… Well, she knew the subject, her partner didn't.

"It was important! You looked sad! What if you needed help, or were in trouble? How else am I going to rescue you?" Ruby said with a more casual smile, swaying as she sat, both sitting on a small bench below the pink spring blossoms and the standard red of forever falls. A nice little romantic spot they had begun to adopt as their own.

"I don't need rescuing." Weiss responded a little offended by the suggestion. Rationally though, she knew Ruby didn't really mean it that way. She just wanted to be Weiss' hero, silly little girl she was. "But thank you." Weiss added, making an effort to be more agreeable.

"But it's fun being the super cool hero sometimes." Ruby answered back, bumping shoulders with Weiss, still all smiles. She never did take things seriously; the idea that anyone was this innocent left in the world was almost off putting. The Heiress almost wished she could preserve it forever, but eventually everyone would grow up. Being involved with the Schnee to this extent meant growing up a lot faster. Something still needed to be addressed.

"Speaking of notes, what was with that little bombshell you tossed me earlier?" This sort of thing couldn't be swept under the rug. The cool spring wind still frosty from winter blew through the park and made Ruby shiver uncomfortably.

"Anyways back to studying!" Ruby declared with a nervous laugh, quickly unpacking her notepad and pen. She smiled at Weiss, but her eyes were unsure, clearly not thrilled by how Weiss had reacted to her use of "love" in the letter.

"Ruby." Weiss replied lowly, unwilling to let this go. She didn't want to be cruel or misunderstood. It wasn't that their relationship wasn't supposed to be about love, just that it was not a commitment either of them were capable of making honestly yet. Ruby shifted nervously, but turned to face Weiss, seeming night quiet afraid, just uncomfortable with her ability to express herself.

"I just said what I felt I guess...felt like a good moment." Ruby started with, struggling with her own words. Even with a pause Weiss did not move to interrupt despite her impatient personality. Ruby deserved a chance to explain it without her being cut off. "In hindsight totally not the best idea, but I felt like it."

"Ruby, you don't get it. I don't come without strings attached; my life is almost entirely decided. You don't know what you're getting yourself into saying things like that." Weiss' tone was softer than her words. More sympathetic to how Ruby felt than she would admit. In a simpler world without family politics and the White Fang threat, perhaps it could be that easy. "With everything, we can't rush it."

"Doesn't really matter though...I mean whatever happens, what I feel isn't really different." Ruby responded not quite content with Weiss' answer. "I'm not sure how else to say it...It's how I feel, if that seems like it's weird, it's what it is to me. I don't know. I know you mean so much to me, I guess tell me when you're comfortable hearing exactly how much." Weiss was frozen by that, though she wanted to scream it was naive and stupid. It was very naive and stupid way of looking at it, but such a Ruby way of looking at it. All the troubles the Schnee name brought and Ruby Rose seemed not threatened by a one.

"You're a very sweet idiot." Weiss said gently, a rare real smile on her lips she reached out and ran her fingers through Ruby's soft hair. Sudden touch still frightened Weiss, but little things like this were easy for her and as the red cloaked girl smiled at the touch the Heiress added a kiss to the forehead. A little thing that made them both blush. _'Just be careful I don't end up shattering you're whole life.' _When they parted both of them sat awkwardly, but happily in the little sanctum of a park annexed, but separate from the rest of the school, red and pinks of spring and perpetual autumn their company.

"Alright let's start then, tell me the terms of the Faunus Concordant." Weiss said after a moment grinning at Ruby's immediate disappointment.

"Oh come on, after all that still?"

"I told you, swallow what you chew, and mean what you say." And Weiss in her heart of hearts truly hoped Ruby did. "You're not getting out of this."

*****Hey everyone. Welcome to the direct sequel to my story Snowy Vale. While this is standalone if White Rose is your kind of thing I'd recommend starting with Snowy Vale and reading up to here for added context and character growth. No required though.**

**I hope you all enjoyed this and I want to thank A-rav who was the Beta on this. Having another eye looking for mistakes will certainly help Melting Vale be a better technical experience than Snowy Vale I think and allow some of the editing burden to be off my shoulders. So much thanks to A-rav for all his help. **

**For those of you more familiar with snowy Vale the next two or three chapters will be very much like the original, but afterword's you'll see a bit more story focused and serious stuff. (Never completely devoid of wonderful fluffy cuteness) Also running right now is Autumn Vale a standalone prequel to all of this. It's much more serious, action and filed with intrigue than this (though Melting Vale will have a tiny bit of that.) so if you're into that kind of thing check it out.**

**I'm glad to be a part of this and all the cool things I've done sense this started, so let's tell two new awesome stories, and I'll see you next week. Review and follow if you enjoy!**

**-Elfen**

*****Edit.**

**So I accidentally uploaded the wrong version of Melting Vale the first time...my bad**


	2. Ch 2 Adagio for Dance

Chapter 2. Adagio for Dance

Ruby Rose the Leader

"Weiss! Come on get ready we have a date tonight!" Ruby shouted tossing herself onto Weiss' bed, though the Heiress seemed a little irritated at this, her shoulders rising in annoyance. The two of them, as they did every Saturday, had spent the day together. This had been, as usual, a pretty quiet evening in, now that their days were dates and their relationship more...difficult to explain. Ruby however had other plans.

"Why not just stay in for the rest of tonight? I can get some studying done, it's not like we can go out." Weiss mumbled writing some notes into a booklet. Her pen spun along the paper quickly as she filled out the notes. It was kind of impressive how neatly she wrote yet still quickly and effectively. Such a diligent student, but in need of some fun. Not to mention Ruby was tired of studying, too much was bad for a young huntress like herself.

"Yes we can. I'm taking you out on a date!" Ruby answered poking Weiss in the shoulder.

"Ruby we talked about this, and it's a little late don't you think?" Weiss replied with a raised brow, half curious and half annoyed.

"It's just to a movie and an old one. The theater will be empty, and it'll look totally normal." Ruby responded while Weiss went back to work, but her silence meant she was thinking about it at least a little.

"Putting the moves on in the movies, I raised you well sis!" Yang shouted laughing at them, and while Ruby loved having Yang for a dorm mate, she so wanted her own room for things like this.

"Yang!" Ruby yelled back, tossing her pillow at the golden bear of a woman that was her sister. She just laughed taking the pillow beatings. Ruby's big sister had been the last member of RWBY to find out about Ruby and Weiss. Blake had ended up her confidant somehow, despite the sister's direct relationship. It was because stuff like this that she avoided it for so long. Yang had supported her going after Weiss, but the cost was endless teasing, with her shouting "Woo hoo!" if Ruby so much as touched Weiss.

"Do not encourage her with a response Ruby." The Heiress replied not looking up from her notebook. She was smart enough after the first week not to get caught by Yang's bait, though occasionally it would earn sis a sharp look and some angry words behind her back. Though secretly Ruby thought maybe they were becoming closer friends 'cus of her. Would be nice if she could get her sister and her girlfriend to become friends.

"Weiss you're no fun!" Yang groaned with her usual smile devoid of all discernible negative feelings. She was always so completely impossible to dislike. "You two need to entertain me while Blake is out." Except when she spent all day interrupting Ruby's pseudo-date night, sitting there and fiddling with Ember Celica commentating on their relationship. Maybe she could be a little upset with her, just a little.

"When will all of you get that I know I'm no fun, I just don't care." Weiss responded taking the bait, her mood clearly not as receptive to Ruby's idea now that Yang had soured it. Ruby wouldn't give up though. She couldn't, not with all her plans. Taking a breath she prepared the most nation shattering, puppy dog pout she could muster with all of her awkward cuteness, and placed her chin on Weiss' shoulder for her to see it. The Heiress did not turn her head, but blue ice eyes flashed to Ruby for one moment, enough for her to frown and shake her head The deep breath Weiss took afterwards told her all she needed to know, it was over. "Alright, what movie?"

* * *

"A horror movie? Really?" Weiss mumbled outside the theater. She was less impressed than Ruby, who had hear it was pretty good from Nora. Who would have thought she would be the horror junky...actually in hindsight it made a perfect amount of sense. Ruby reached through her pockets for some spare lien, taking out the exact amount for two late night last showing tickets.

"Here's the money for the tickets." Ruby mumbled a little embarrassed as she handed Weiss the money, Weiss on the other hand refused her, not the type to let anyone pay for her. Also it seemed a little aware of why Ruby was having her pay.

"Am I just an excuse to get into a movie you're too young for Ruby?" Weiss accused, a brow raised in anger. She was not the type to be played, and her aura seemed to flare menacingly.

"No... I want to see it with you." Ruby said blushing in a mixture of embarrassment and mild shame, she disliked being reminded that she was still just fifteen, and arguably too young for Weiss. That was probably one of the biggest things Ruby felt insecure about. "It'll be perfect I promise! Just...uh I can't get my own ticket…."Ruby admitted feeling that red on her get brighter.

Weiss stared suspiciously at Ruby for a moment. A deep breath later, Weiss marched up to the clerk and bought the tickets still refusing Ruby's money. "I suppose this means I'm taking you out." She muttered walking back with two tickets in hand. Ruby felt bad, but Weiss didn't mean to say something malicious, just a fact. Either way Ruby was going to pay her back in the form of a big, buttery, bucket of popcorn. Everyone loves popcorn.

The theater itself was rather small, though surprisingly clean. The seating was a standard rising set, Ruby of course ran for the top, right below the projector. Better above than below, where no one could see them, and the projector would blind any spies. Perfect little spot, she'd have to thank Blake later for the idea. The two of them sat alone in their row, the theater was fairly empty, no one showing for the late night viewing. It was better that way just Ruby, Weiss and a giant bucket of popcorn.

The movie had begun, some story of a body possessing grimm that was tormenting the town. It was trying to play up the 'who's possessed?' but it was obviously the guy with dark eyes and a dead stare. Without a sense of subtlety all that was left for the movie was cool jump scares or story.

As the story continued it started trying to toss a really poorly handled romantic subplot right in the middle. It was pretty average, though Ruby disliked the fact that the lead was only a lucky average guy who just survived things for no real reason. The scares were there, though monsters didn't really scare Ruby, or death for that matter. Eventually it just sort of happened; Ruby had seen it before, probably see it again. Never really seemed that big a deal, she would have to just be stronger and fast enough, faster than mom.

"Why are they just walking around by themselves? That's just stupid. It's not like they know they're being hunted or anything." Weiss whispered for the first time snapping Ruby out of her more morbid thoughts. The scares seemed to do nothing for her either. She looked bored popping small bites of popcorn into her mouth. See, Ruby knew it, no one dislikes popcorn.

"Well yeah, you're supposed to get scared and cuddle up and stuff…" Ruby mumbled honestly surprised at how forward her response was. Weiss was starting to make her more direct, though whether that was a good thing or not. Embarrassed with herself, Ruby did the only thing a self-respecting Huntress should. Shoved a fist full of popcorn into her mouth.

"Ruby, we kill monsters for a living." Weiss said, voice barely hushed, giving Ruby a look that told her she was an idiot. Ruby wanted to ask what, but mouth full of popcorn only a small mousy squeak. Weiss continued to look at her, not the movie. Her eyes were of unsurprised disappointment, but at least the curve of her mouth meant she found it, funny...no more like amusing.

"You could pretend." Ruby replied finally swallowing down her popcorn and giving a small pout. What was the point of horror movies with Weiss without cuddling? Perhaps another fistful of popcorn was necessary to protest.

Weiss however did something unexpected. Looked at Ruby with the same 'really?' look as before, but reached over, sliding her left arm under Ruby's right clutching tightly to Ruby and closing the distance between them. Playing her role perfectly, Weiss stared deadpan at the movie screen, mumbling without tone, "Oh, no I'm so terrified." Ruby had realized, Weiss had her own sort of sarcastic humor to her, and this she could appreciate.

Weiss did not separate. Silently, though unamused by the movie, she sat cuddling with linked arms and hand. Simple for everyone else maybe, but the Heiress always had difficulty with touch. They didn't talk about it much, and Ruby knew it wasn't that Weiss didn't want to touch her, but more that it was hard to do for some reason, despite wanting to. The effort was not lost on Ruby, and she smiled brightly, just looking at her, _'cute'_. Leaning forward Ruby placed her lips on Weiss' cheek, surprised by how warm it felt.

"Ruby!" Weiss nearly shouted in the movies, but Ruby just smiled and chuckled nervously. Her partner was red all over, something that didn't look half bad on her, she must admit. Ruby grinned innocently not letting Weiss' arm go as she bobbed her head in a little girl sort of way.

"Shush we're in a movie." She whispered back to Weiss, laughing half way through it.

* * *

"Alright so added to the list of things you can never pick for us. Operas, cookie flavors, curtains, dust mixtures and now movies." Weiss counted off with her fingers with each indictment. Honestly Ruby had no issue with the movie; she enjoyed her date with Weiss, though it was not quite over yet.

"Aww, Weiss it wasn't that bad, plus Nora picked it, give me a chance to prove myself!" Ruby argued, taking large steps along the slim outer Vale roads. They had started the somewhat long walk home, but on such a nice night, Ruby had talked Weiss into taking the long way. What the long way was, Ruby didn't bother explaining.

"Not until I forget about that tripe." Weiss replied following Ruby in toe. "Ruby… I don't recognize where we are going." Weiss piped up, getting wise to the winding street Ruby had brought her down. The normal modern roads of inner Vale began to turn to the older flat cobblestone. The streets had narrowed, and the signs of industry had gone and the streets began to have more greenery.

"Don't worry, I know where we are going, I got a surprise." Ruby replied taking Weiss' hand and pushing forward; ignoring how completely mad this was probably making her.

"Ruby I always have and always will, hate surprises." Well than Ruby just had to come up with some really, really good ones. She was always good at it, being a little hyper and spontaneous by nature. It was more fun that way, even if sometimes surprises ended with a blown out oven, or cookie dough covered sheets when she was little.

"Don't worry, just this way!" A small alleyway between a park and a few wooden shops. The alley was wide enough for maybe two horses, back when that was about all you needed. There were no lights, but a unusually bright shattered moon in the sky, its broken form reflecting a glow onto them. The darkness here was more blue than black, and with the sounds of a fountain in the distance, and flowers off the empty and dim balconies, it was a perfect little spot for them. Walking into a near dead end, where the street narrowed to a small arch, Ruby spun around doing the best graceful impression of some sort of gallant knight that she could.

"Princess Weiss, will you do the honor of a dance with me." Ruby asked, trying to deepen her voice as she bowed, hand extended in full dramatic style, though she worried her lovely combat skirt might not appreciate such a low bow. Still acting like the gallant hero was basically Ruby's dream so she took to the role with certain joy, grinning at the weird feeling of coolness she had in this moment.

"I'm no princess, not to mention we have no music and we're in public, you fool." Weiss said with near no malice in it, despite the content, though with a bit of dramatic flair. Ruby couldn't tell if that was playing along or just being her usual dramatic self.

"We do with headphones! Just relax. This part of town is nearly empty. Everyone's asleep by now, I come here all the time." Ruby replied popping out a new set of much smaller headphones, bought just for this. Her usual set couldn't be shared, though its sound quality would have been so much better. The silliest doubts began to cloud her head, from sound quality to music choice, so Ruby did the only thing she knew how to when she doubted herself. "So a dance, m'lady?" Push forward till it breaks and crumples.

"Ruby, we can't dance sharing headphones. Also it's my Lady, not m'lady. No one talks like that, not even in my family." Weiss chided her sternly with a slight smile. It seemed to work, though Weiss argued with it. The thought must have pleased her for Weiss to actually smile even a little.

"We will have to just dance closely then." Ruby added feeling embarrassed with herself. There was no reason to be, but the fear she was being too pushy, or too bold, stayed with her. She predicted Weiss' refusal and stepped up closer to closing the distance, also buying smaller headphones meant one for each as well as picking one with divided wiring. All according to plan.

"Ruby I just, I'm not the type for that kind of thing anyways-" Weiss started, a little uncomfortable with Ruby's music and maybe a bit with the open atmosphere here in this open ally cobblestone alleyway. The spot was perfect though, no one went through here and the shops were closed. The few houses that looked down on this old section of town, while rich with greenery were all dark. They were alone, with just the moon.

"Just listen." Ruby said cutting her girlfriend off. She handed her the other half of the headphones and started the song. Weiss shook her head no, but took the earpiece anyways, unwilling to argue. Ruby watched for her reaction, and as soon as the headpiece slide in Weiss gasped near silently. The young huntress raised the volume and Weiss smiled.

"This is-" A soft set of slow strings played, some sort of violin, though Ruby was not an expert in string instruments outside of a guitar and bass. She liked it of course, it was pretty, but knew nothing about it. Weiss reacted way better than Ruby dreamed, her eyes closed shut and that unusual pure Weiss smile graced her lips as the strings reverberated that melody softly.

"It's an orchestra, I've never heard of before, but it sounds pretty. I know it's more your deal. I mean I have no idea how to dance properly and stuff, or know what the people are playing, like maybe a violin thingy. You know the big one? Do they sound different? But like I always make you do dumb stuff and the movie was my pick so I-" Weiss raised her finger at Ruby, a sign that she was to shut up, to which the huntress did so quickly. The Heiress took a quick breath stepping close to Ruby, hand reached out as if waiting for something.

"Ruby, give me your hand." Weiss said finally and Ruby noticed her footwork. She was standing firmly, with as slight twist as if she waited for some sudden motion. Almost like the young Schnee was expecting a fight.

"What?" Ruby asked, a little embarrassed that she was staring at her girlfriend's feet. Oh gods, she hoped Weiss didn't notice that.

"Give me your hand. You don't know how to dance like a proper lady, not surprising. So stand close, follow my feet and count with me. Understood?" Weiss said with the usual firm voice she used whenever she tutored Ruby. A little higher than thou, but she had long since learned not to take that as seriously as Weiss sounded.

Sliding her hand into her partners, Weiss began to dance. She moved fluidly and perfectly, while Ruby on the other hand did so with more sudden and stilted movements. "One. Two. One. Two." Weiss counted off to help Ruby begin to match Weiss. This sort of dance was strange; instead of emotional and wild, it was contained and structured. At first it was a really weird and difficult transformation, but soon Ruby eased into it. There was some comfort in the structure, the calmness. It was not so much about Ruby, but about them, together, the unit.

Trying to match her partner felt totally different. Where dancing in the club felt like shutting the world, others, and all concerns out, this was different. It felt like connecting with someone else, still expressive, but more real, tangible. To be able to finally just look up and match eyes with Weiss, Ruby began to see the value in this sort of thing. See the sweetness in the strings. The perfection of the old cobblestone buildings around them, the moon, the greenery. It all built this perfect real, actual, physical, moment between them. That was really cool. Soon enough Ruby could just smile at Weiss, getting good enough to only need the numbers.

"You learn quickly." Weiss whispered between a set of step numbers. She had begun to just whisper them as not to pull away from the music as the strings began to die down. Ruby smiled at the compliment, feeling a little proud, even if she was nowhere as perfect as Weiss. Soon the song began to end, sending the moment to an unwanted close, even Weiss seemed sad as she quietly pulled apart.

"Wait." Ruby said quickly turning on the song again desperately not wanting to end it there. It was so perfect, the moon making Weiss glow, _'so cute, so pretty.'_ She didn't seem like anything on Remnant, and Ruby wanted to be close like this. Just a little longer. "One more time, I want to get it right. I'm the leader, can't set a bad example?" Ruby added a little desperate. Weiss rolled her eyes at her, but a moment later they were back, of course without Weiss giving cues. _'If you want to get better you have move up a level every time.' _Ruby could almost hear Weiss said, but she didn't. Weiss instead danced close with her, the Heiress' heels allowing her to stand just an inch taller than Ruby.

They played the song again, soft melody of strings over anything else, few lights in the distance though nothing compared to Weiss' moonlike glow. Ruby rested her head on Weiss' shoulder in the last dance, not needing her eyes anymore. Being a huntress made her agile enough. Eventually all songs end and this time Ruby did not reach for her player.

"That was very nice...Thank you Ruby." Weiss said softly as they separated. She seemed a little more hushed and mellow than usual. Maybe she needed more music in her life, Ruby mused at the thought, but felt a bit of blush come onto her cheeks as Weiss stared at her.

"I'm glad you like it. I know we've be fighting a bit lately. I just want you to know we don't have to worry, and I listen and I'll learn things you like and stuff and-" Weiss kissed her, something uncommon. Ruby almost panicked, but the softness was too sweet, scent of flowers too strong, and moonlight too bright to do anything but deepen it. They parted lips, and Weiss pulled away blushed, probably tense from the contact. Ruby grinned widely, probably looking stupid to Weiss, though she couldn't manage to look at her directly to tell.

"That was surprising… You okay Weiss? You usually freak if I hold your hand in public so.." Ruby mumbled with a chuckle feeling a little awkward, but not uncomfortable. She was so happy.

"What you did was rather sweet Ruby, thank you." Weiss said, looking really, honestly happy. The girl lived filled with anxiety and anger, something Ruby didn't fully understand. Only recently had Ruby begun to see the truth behind her shouting, and the constant stress Weiss seemed to be under, even if the reason why was a mystery. It felt so good to be the one that brought out that happy Weiss. "And I am not that prudish thank you very much!" Weiss shot back high chinned and blushing, just like her old self. Ruby laughed at that, glad to see her girlfriend was still herself even when she was happy.

"Totally are." Ruby laughed swinging Weiss' hand, but never letting go.

"Don't even!" Weiss said giving Ruby a little push. Thus their little moonlight dance ended sweetly and softly, another moment of what Ruby wanted to be the best spring of her life so far, and hopefully the start of a summer just as wonderful.

***** HI everyone! It's just me again, hope everything's going well. Sorry this took so long, I have some personal matters, work, and a calc test all get tossed at me at once. Again it's no excuse, but I am sorry. Hope the long chapter pays up for that. Personally I really like how this came out, so I wanted to share some like behind the scenes stuff for it.**

**For the dancing scene any classical slow song works, for me particularly I pictured (and listened to while I wrote it) Bach's Air on G-String. It's kind of what I associate with when I think of a slow song, though any Adagio might fight the bill better. That scene was also inspired by a very different, but somewhat similar scene in Katahane a really cool story about a play, about a play, about a thing with a play in it.**

**As for the City of Vale, I kind of picture it like Madrid, old yet modern at its center, even industrial, but on its outskirts having an older more picturesque shell. I imagined the dance scene would be at a place look a little like some small parts of Barajas (the district not the airport) where I lived for a couple of months. **

**For anyone worried this is going to get a little stale, trust me things are going to start getting a little bit more heavy around chapter 4, I just want some fluffy bits here and there.**

**Also credit to A-rav again for betaing and enjoy!**

**Oh I also like to reply to all reviews; however two of these were guest reviews, so I have to address them here**

**To Guest, I apologize for your issues, and while I don't think the grammar was nearly that terrible, I understand something's both me and A-rav will miss. If you have any examples PM me them and I'll be happy to fix it. Either way I hope you keep reading and I hope I can improve your feelings about Melting Vale.**

**To Chris M; comments like that are just amazing to me, I hope you keep reading and thank you so much. I'm glad you like it and hopefully you'll keep enjoying it.**


	3. Melting Vale ch 1 issues and apology

Issue with Melting Vale 1

So I owe you guys an apology. It turns out I uploaded the wrong version of Melting Vale chapter one. I uploaded a completely unedited version, not the post beta edit. I made the mistake and switched them out, but didn't save. As such until this moment I have a really batched version of it up. I am so sorry. The finished edit is up, however the changes are mostly cosmetic, with perhaps a few sentences of added content so if you don't want to go back and read them that is fine.

Once again, huge apology to you all

ElfenLied1012


	4. Chapter 3 Communication part 1

Chapter 3 Communication part 1

Weiss the Perfectionist

There was just no way noo way this could be happening. "Weiss! Aren't you proud?!" There was, just no way. Hands tight and chest heavy with what felt like iron and ice, Weiss shivered feeling her body devoid of any sort of heat. What she stared at was damnating, something that was supposed to be impossible. It meant the beginning of the end of everything. There was no way to hide this, no way to fix this before he found out. There before her, in the darkest, most brooding red, marked an eighty-nine. The red ink mocking her like some sort of cruel court jester.

Weiss Schnee had scored an eighty-nine on a test, weapons engineering for that matter, something her family had been the head of development in for the last century. This was the cruelest part of this comic joke. Why of all things this? Had it been some sort of auxiliary course, it might not have been quite as unfair, but the staple of her family. Her family! Was this a trick? Weiss felt a deep need to leave, leave for the library and check every record. She needed to find out how this happened, what she had done to wrong. How this could be made to never happen again.

"Weiss! I got top of the class!" Ruby announced throwing her Ninety-seven around so proud. She had replaced Weiss as top of the class on this test. Blake however kept her spot. Instead Weiss dropped all the way down to sixth. That meant below Blake, below Velvet, below Pyrrha, below Ren. A drop into the field of complete and total mediocrity, one point enough to make her just okay, barely above average.

"Yes…Just please give me a moment." Weiss muttered unable to look up at Ruby or just away from this accursed test sheet. It had to be wrong, but of course it wasn't. The professor had warned them the test would be the hardest except for the final, and she had foolishly not focused on it. She spent time she should have spent studying wasting time with Ruby or teaching her History. Weiss had let the stress get to her, all her worries and fears about her relationship. She let them keep her from being focused. She should have cut out time, slept less, but no. Instead she slept in on weekends to deal with that stress, let herself waste time. Now she paid for it. Such a huge drop in placement would catch people's eye. No way would father not hear of it.

"You did awesome sis; you're amazing." Yang added reaching over her desk just to hug Ruby. Weiss' hands crumbled around her paper nearly ripping it in half, but she needed it. Only record of her answers and questions. The Heiress folded it back up, sliding it along with her other work into her bag.

"We should go out and celebrate!" Ruby said still obvious to Weiss' sickening feeling. She did not need to go out celebrating. She needed to leave, go someplace and check this test, check her mistakes and insure nothing like this ever happened again.

"Why would you say that?...Stop." Weiss said completely covered up by Ruby and Yang, however Blake seemed to hear it, her yellow Faunus eyes looking down concerned at a her, though she did not move to do anything. Weiss wondered if maybe she enjoyed this. Finally topping her, or maybe she was upset too, almost made top of class. Standing up, but never bothering to raise her head, Weiss Schnee meant to leave unnoticed, but her partner got in the way. Those wide, but confused eyes looking back at her. Weiss tried to stop being angry, but Ruby looking sad just made her even angrier.

"Weiss, you okay? I thought you'd be happy…." Ruby asked with an outreached arm looking so attention starved, a million memories of Weiss trying so hard to please her father came flooding back. A comparison she vilified to her very core. That cocktail of emotion however, made Weiss more her father's child than she ever wanted.

"Get out of my way and leave me alone!" Weiss shouted knocking away Ruby's hand. It was a child's tantrum, she knew it was, but couldn't stop it. She needed to go, felt trapped in here, drowning in her girlfriend. Though choked by guilt when Ruby muttered a sad sort of why, Weiss couldn't handle it. She pushed through Ruby making a bee-line for the class door. "Just, I'll talk to you later." Weiss finished as she crossed the threshold of the class door. This would not do wonders for her reputation or her relationship. She could apologize later, but for now she needed to fix this, needed to before the house of cards came crumbling.

"I'm sorry Ruby." She said only to herself in a whisper as she bolted down the hall, hoping all the while someone stopped her from following the Heiress. When no one actually followed her though, a strange sense of loneliness overcame her. Stuffing that down, letting the little cracks in her heart freeze back over, Weiss entered the library. Now it was time to focus on the results.

Blake the Clever

Blake watched an upset and panicked little girl storm out of a lover's quarrel while the rest of the class seemed to just see a spoiled teen throwing a tantrum over a grade. Either way Weiss bolting had left quite the scene. To think how hard she tried to keep those two out of the public eye. They practically queued opportunities to be dreadfully obvious. Regardless, Blake had left Weiss alone when she could have intervened, a mistake she admitted and felt a small amount of guilt over. The Faunus would not do the same with Ruby.

Poor girl almost left all her things behind before turning back into the class halfway out the door. Speed was Ruby's essence, a shooting star made tangible, and she kept to that nature. Despite having to bolt outside, turn around run back to her desk and then head back out, Blake barely managed to catch her by the hood on her second trip through the door, like catching a bolt of fire.

"Ruby, Yang, team meeting." Blake said just loud enough for Yang to take note, as she started packing up her collective goodies and other such assets. Ruby struggled however, was still trying to run after Weiss. Blake never let go of her hood, though she feared her leader might asphyxiate on her own prized cloak. Sort of sweet in a morbid way, but Weiss would likely be disinterested in the poetry of that explanation.

"Blake let go I gotta go find Weiss!" Ruby begged content to drag them both after the Ice Princess. Blake was not interest however.

"Yang help." Soon enough the beautiful goddess of a woman came to Blake's rescue, pulling Ruby into a hug no mortal could escape, though she questioned who would want to. Well aside from Ruby of course. She seemed to prefer thrashing about, ungrateful for the embrace.

"Sorry sis, Blake called team meeting." Yang said with a sublime smile, not seeming to question Blake whatsoever. 'If only she would listened this well all the time.' They might not end up with so many dangerous adventures together, more lovely days in a park somewhere reading below a tree in blossom. Though having that much unquestionable imperium over Yang might be a dangerous proposition in the long run. 'You're getting off subject.' Blake told herself shaking off any blush that likely colored her cheeks.

"Uhh, but, I need to get Weiss…" Ruby mumbled a muffled mousy sort of plea into Yang's bosom.

"You need to stop putting your foot in your mouth. That's where I come in." Blake said quietly opening the door to the woman's restroom, hoping to commandeer it for their meeting. Seemed nice enough, fairly clean as far as a public bathroom went. More importantly it was a slightly subtle, sound dampened and a rarely frequented restroom due to being on the opposite side of the first year's hall from the dorm. The perfect place for their machinations.

"We got to go back! She's really upset, I mean like really mad, not just Weiss mad. I mean she's like near break-up mad I got to go now…" Ruby implored as soon as Yang released her. The older of the sisters was ever the clever beauty quickly blocking the door, pressing on it with her back. This doubled as a way to stop interlopers from overhearing them as well as Ruby going off and doing something to really light Weiss aflame in all the wrong ways.

"Ruby, it's not that bad, but before we start talking…" Blake whispered, silently sauntering her way towards the closed stalls. The room wasn't exactly clear yet, and Blake wouldn't be the best first year scout if she let them be caught in such a precarious way. Not to mention watching the old trope of someone overhearing in the stall would simply be far too common a twist for her liking.

Taking the time to knock open every stall, the mood itself became overdramatic. Sure she had asked them to stop talking, but Blake had meant about Weiss. Having her teammates stare at her with anticipation as if she was looking for a bomb was mildly disquieting. At this point if she didn't find anyone Bake would look like she was a paranoid idiot, she almost wanted someone to be there.

"Wait, hold on!" A small voice yelp beyond the final stall. One by one Blake had knocked them open the bathroom stalls proving empty and that desire to not be made out a crazy person built up in Blake, so much so the mumbled shout ended up being a massive relief. Her over planning paid off, now Blake had to just play it off like she completely knew that their guest was in there and in no way was she nervous. Yes, completely and absolutely cool.

"Oh hello everyone…" Stepping out was very confused Velvet, whom silently walked over to the sink, washed her hands. The entire affair was so silent one could hear a bunny hop. Blake had to swallow down her drive to just start laughing. Poor girl was petrified as almost all of team RWBY just stared at her as she washed her hands and tried to make polite conversation. Yang however actually laughed as she stepped aside to let Velvet pass. That golden flame could never keep serious for long.

"Can I talk now?" Their little crimson commander finally whispered, looking perfectly perplexed by the position they had put her in.

"It's alright Ruby, I just want to help talk things out before you rush off after Weiss." Blake replied pacing steadily over to Yang and the bathroom door to relieve the Blondie of her duty. While Blake dealt with Ruby, someone needed to go into the maw and face the beast. Who better than someone she already hated. If Yang got devoured by her icy wrath, nothing would change all that much. "Yang you're going to go talk to Weiss got it? "

"Wait what? No that is a super bad idea!" Ruby shouted waving her arms in complete repulsion of the stated plan.

"That's a terrible plan." Yang announced with a laugh, but that little flame in her eye told Blake she would go for it anyway. "I'm on it Blake, my budster! She's in the book place right?" Yang asked mocking Blake's compulsion to consume books. In time she would understand the titillating need for those fine tomes, it was a slow addiction, and one Blake would give to Yang in time. Another day though.

"Don't even pretend you don't know what a library is." Yang was always trying to tease an angry reaction out of her. Blake had no idea what the two of them found so pleasing in irritated partners. Yang stepped out of the bathroom waving back, a minx draped in gold, a troublemaker's smile on her lips. Perhaps this was a misstep... "Alright Ruby, so what was that all about with Weiss." Blake said switching from orders to questions.

"I don't know… she seemed upset, but like she never gets that mad." Ruby seemed unusually unsure of herself, crossing her arms in seeming defeat. She was always just a pure boundless girl much like Yang had innocence not fleeted from her years ago. Blake wanted to see Ruby's fire return. Blake had a fondness for that families flame. "I don't know what I did." Ruby finished looking up at Blake those pristine pale plates of pure silver reflecting her amber, athirst for answers. Blake needed to at least pretend she had some.

"Alright, perhaps we are taking it at the wrong angle. What did she say to you when you three were talking?" Blake asked resting her back against the door. Now that Yang was gone no doubt irritating interlopers might intervene on their lovely chat.

"I, uhhh wasn't listening…" Ruby said with a low chuckle, uncomfortable with her own underwhelming admission. Blake understood, the young rose was excited, big day for her. Ousting the entire class in engineering. Sure it was her best academic subject and almost all her study habits were given and developed by the little ice princess, but it was her skill. Blake scored second, but she always did. There was just one problem with that.

"Ruby, Weiss dropped below a bunch of us on the score list. She didn't even get an A." Blake announced much to Ruby's chagrin. She was mostly surprised that Ruby hadn't noticed. Blake had been just packing up her stuff, but Weiss was obviously distressed by the talk. Perhaps it had helped that Weiss sat next to Blake to compare notes, but Ruby needed to pay more attention. Weiss was high maintenance, more than Ruby even seemed to realize, she had to develop a decidedly less daft approach to her dearest.

"Is she mad at me..." The young huntress hung her head haggard and heavy-hearted, having realized her part in this whole issue. Ruby bit her lips, a sign of uncomfort and guilt something Blake couldn't help, but want to take away. Not to mention she was going at this the wrong way entirely.

"If there is one thing I know about that girl, is Weiss would never be angry at you for doing well Ruby. Angry about anything else, absolutely, but that is wrong." Blake replied with a smile, reaching out to Ruby and ruffling her crimson coated hair. It was so easy to forget her age, Blake felt like somehow she had become more and more like another big sister to her. Not exactly a stress less position but hey, Blake had always wanted more family after all. "So question is?" Blake inquired hopefully pushing Ruby onto the right line of thought.

"Why is Weiss struggling?...She is smarter than me." Ruby asked getting the right question, but getting caught up on the wrong hang-up. Weiss knew Ruby was actually brilliant, top of Beacon material, but Ruby seemed to assume Weiss was on a mantel above her.

"Certainly more zealous. I have to admit, girl has a lot of drive." This was very true. The practiced princess was a pedant of the highest grade, but that came from toil and more effort than Blake wanted to put towards much of anything. "What's different from before? About school" Blake added refocusing on the problem, not Ruby's deifying of the diva.

"She spends a lot of time with me, but we study!" Ruby said grasping Blake's bait like a mouse on a string.

"And what does she study with you?" Blake responded feeding her the last hint of the night. Ruby was smart; she was getting it clear as a grimm's face is white.

"History…" Ruby mumbled, a subject Weiss had never scored less than a hundred in, despite one she constantly seemed to pass notes throughout. Weiss had clearly been tutored way beyond the scope of the class at home, so their study sessions where blatant teacher and student, not peer to peer. Good for both of them, but not the dire aid that Weiss needed in her worst academic subject. "So I just need to teach her engineering!" Ruby shouted the flame in her eyes burning from the new wood she had tossed into her mental fire.

"That's not just that though." It was close, but the girl was missing something else from her solution. Weiss would skip on sleep to fill the gap, the problem was more core to both of them. Something that if ever was a critical flaw of their beautiful connection. "Ruby, you don't understand what it's like to be afraid, to live thinking about the next move." Blake did, a political enemy. She was an ex terrorist and a traitor to the cause all at once. Beacon was the final beacon for her. Whatever Weiss' issues, her spoiled childish tantrums, the woman was completely devoid of humor and petrified by doubt. Not exactly the kind of spoiled that happens to those left without fear. She didn't know what kind of family life she had, and it while it was in no way the same as Blake's, but there was a pain to Weiss, a fear. "She might be kind of a bitch, but she's the one worried about your future while you're focused on the present. Think of the stress the relationship is causing her." And in the end all fear manifests the same.

"Don't call her that…." Ruby said getting quickly defensive. She was a good girlfriend going to guard for that girl. That strong defensive stance diminished as Blake just stared at her with unchanging expression. It was sinking in. "Are you saying we should break up?" Ruby mumbled fiddling with her finger figuring out what to do.

"Don't even." Blake nearly shouted, calming enough for a deep breath. "I worked too hard for this. If you two break up I am going to be so mad." She allowed her tone to sound more affable, a weak smile to go along with it. There was no need for such drastic and draconian measures. "Just go talk to her, figure out how to help her this time. No tricks."

"So I should go now." Ruby asked, now hopping on her heels in haste.

"Go ahead, I got to go come up with an explanation for poor Velvet." Blake added stepping back from the door switching instead to leaning on the wall. Weiss had better be ready, because Ruby seemed primed to communicate the hell out of someone.

"Thank you Blake!" Ruby shouted tackling Blake in an awkward hug. Girl was nowhere near the size or build of her sister, but that same warm enveloping feeling came from their embrace. A wild fire's touch could be surprisingly soft Blake supposed, ruffling the soft thin flaming hair. A sweet girl definitely, Weiss had better be happy.

"Hurry up I really don't want to be in this bathroom anymore." Blake said softly pushing herself out of the embrace. Not that she didn't appreciate the friendly affection, but she doubted Weiss would approve, not to mention Blake had her own reputation to maintain, it was time to go back to being "disinterested".

Ruby nodded and with a glow, that shooting start took flight again.

Yang the Sister

"Your face is going to get stuck that way ya know?" Yang said cool, pulling out a seat next to her favorite grumpy girl. The little Ice Queen sat their doodling away some mechanical gibberish, wasn't even in standard language, but the facade broke, she twitched. So behind that consistent scowl, Weiss could hear Yang. Perfect.

"What happened? You kind of ran off." Yang asked sliding into her seat backwards. That sort of thing tends to piss Weiss off, but hey it wasn't like she was ever going to please the bossy princess anyways so might as well have fun. To think after all this tracking down to the inner little farthest part of the library, covered in dust and old furniture, and Weiss couldn't even bother being a little more talkative.

"I needed to study. My performance is unacceptable." Her response was perfectly rehearsed, it almost aggravated Yang. Weiss was always like this, either fake or mad. Ruby had said that was just because they fought so much, but so? She fought with a bunch of people, they weren't all mean.

"You're not perfect you know." Yang said trying to reach out. She had nearly failed this test personally, and she had done well on most tests. Yang wasn't stupid, she just didn't bother studying. The class high wasn't even a perfect score; a B+ was no biggy.

"I know, but I need to be." Weiss replied doing that thing where she never looked up at Yang from her book, irritable. Instead she just worked almost yelling to be left alone. Well Yang never was good at listening.

"Why?" She asked leaning in on her reversed seat, resting her chin comfortably on the chair's top. This was probably going to be a long one.

"You wouldn't understand. My father gave me everything I could want, sure, but at a price. I have to be the best." Weiss said with an irritated sigh, her note taking paused for a small rest. Someone clearly had daddy issues. 'Doesn't everyone.' Yang thought remembering arguing with dad over some of his questionable behavior with women.

"Why listen to him?" Yang said rocking her chair back and forth. This was always the big question with stuff like this. Honestly when thinking about it what could people really do that they couldn't stop? It's almost as if they forgot team RWBY was a bunch of badasses.

"He would ruin anything I wasn't perfect at." Weiss replied snapping back to her work, the pen strokes starting up again, but not with the same sturdy motions, her mind was clearly elsewhere. Why bother studying when you'll just start thinking of other stuff.

"You care too much about the opinions of people. I figure why bother, you know what's real and what ain't." It was true. People put too much stock in opinions. Opinions didn't pass tests, buy food or fight grimm. Opinions were cheap; action and ability were far more valuable.

"If my father decides I'm not fit for Beacon, he can take me away. What do you two not get about that?" That was the last straw for Weiss, she snapped her book shut unwilling to let that go unchallenged. Daddy was definitely a nerve and Yang wanted to see if she could fight her way through it. Blake did say to talk to Weiss.

"Say no?" She returned, the blondie pushing the issue. People always forgot their power over themselves. Weiss was strong, she could stand up for herself, plus RWBY would be there for her. Yang might not get along with Weiss, but they were teammates.

"You are not that stupid." Weiss said dumbfounded at Yang's audacity. If she thought this Huntress was scared of an old rich dude, then she was in for a fiery surprise.

"Maybe." Yang said with a laugh, feeling completely unthreatened. "Weiss you can't let people boss you around. Team RWBY will stop him if he tries." If some old guy tried to steal away Yang's sisters best friend and girlfriend than he was welcome to try. She wanted a fight again since Winter grim surge ended.

"You two are both so like that. Did it ever occur to you that we might fail?" Weiss retorted pointing her pen directly in Yangs face, those blue eyes brimming with another patronizing lecture.

"We can't so we won't." Yang replied believing it. They can't lose Weiss, so obviously they would just have to win. No alternative just added to their drive.

"That makes no sense. Childish." Weiss spat full of venom. She gave out a great sigh, crossing her arms in frustration. They never seemed to really understand each other, or how she and her sister worked. Maybe that's what Blake was hoping to accomplish sending Yang out like this.

"Maybe, but it lets me be free. It's the thing that let Ruby stay herself." Yang tried to phrase it as well as she could not wanting to be condescending to Weiss. Words were never her strong suit, so the easy solution was to smile and not overthink them, but this time it mattered. Had to get this idea across and though Yang didn't know how, she would try with a smile on the whole way.

"What do you mean?" Weiss asked looking at Yang, for the first time this whole talk, really looking at her. Ruby's name seemed to grab her attention. Weiss seemed to care about Ruby a lot even if Yang didn't get how she expressed it very well.

"Interested?" Yang asked in a mocking tone. She couldn't help but smile when Weiss gave her such a nasty glare. "Fine! Ruby thinks that way 'cus of her mom. She kind of is gone from her life...Ruby took it poorly, but one day she said, 'it happens' and 'I'll just be better' and suddenly she was comfortable facing the world." Ruby just kind of flipped one day going back to the normal Ruby before all that. It was around than that the two had gone from sort of cousins to real sisters. Sometimes Ruby would say something weirdly morbid, but mostly she came out of that still just a sweet innocent little girl.

"Is that why she's so comfortable with danger? Not afraid of anything… that little dolt." Weiss said with a sad expression. Her brow scrunched up in anger, but eyes looking down and mouth in a depressed not angry frown.

"She's afraid of you." Yang revealed feeling like she was finally getting somewhere. Ruby wasn't scared of anything physical, she was almost frighteningly comfortable with the idea of death, but Weiss scared the piss out of her.

"Why?" Weiss asked looking really confused and a little offended.

"I don't know, you're scary." Yang replied feeling a little put on the spot. She didn't really find the Ice Queen that scary, or much of anything, but Ruby definitely did. Weiss didn't seem to take the comment well looking even more depressed. "She's so worried you'll think poorly of her. 'Yang does she hate me?' and 'Yang will that make her proud' girl needs a hobby." Yang said trying to put a positive spin on it. It was actually super cute. Ruby was always such a mess about everything like the usual nervous lovebird. Yang kind of missed Ruby running to her about those sorts of things.

"I have to go." Weiss said closing her books and packing her things. "Don't follow me." Yang had the completely unintended effect of making Weiss really sad, sounding defeated as she packed up her things. Yang felt a tiny bit of guilt knowing she might have been a little harsh.

"What about Ruby?" Yang asked, knowing the ice princess intended to leave a trail.

"Tell her I'll be where I always am, studying." Not as romantic as evening dance, but close enough. They needed some time to talk even if working on old dust tomes the entire time. The Heiress stepped away still depressed, but a look of determination was on her composure, at least Yang thought so.

"One last thing Ice princess." Yang nearly shouted grabbing her attention one last time. She had one last thing to say, something clear as day. At least to someone like Yang. "The only thing that can keep the two of you apart is you, 'cus if you think you're dad or an army of beowolves can stop us, then you've underestimated Ruby and more importantly Yang Xiao Long!" The last bit really was a shout as she slammed her fist together, the fire in her burning bright turning her lilac eyes red for a moment with a smile on her lips. Let them come Yang could beat them all.

"You're incredibly stupid." Was Weiss' only reply, but Yang could swear she almost saw a smile. 

***** Hey everyone sorry for the late release! Again thanks to A-rav for editing, and all you people out there reading. I hope you continue to enjoy Melting Vale despite my weakening release schedule. Part two of Communication will be out next week and that will be a big one for sure. ;P**

**So three big things. I was talking with Cat from the Reiss Steam group, and she is making fan art of her favorite Snowy/Melting Vale scene in exchange for me directing her to a new art program. ANYWAYS, this gave me an idea. Melting Vale has the same cover art as Snowy Vale, and I want to change that, so I'm hosting a Valentines competition. I know some of you are amazing artists, so I'm asking for all of you as a favor to make your favorite scene in Snowy/Melting Vale real in art form and my favorite I'm going to either make the Snowy Vale Cover, or the Melting Vale cover. You're welcome to make it your own and stylize it as you wish! Any skill level will be so appreciated! You can PM me the picture, or maybe find an alternative route, but I'll need to figure out. This competition will last until march sometime. Also any other art, say from Autumn Vale or so forth would be incredible! Thanks so much all of you!**

**Next I was wanting to find new ways to talk directly to you guys and girls, much in the way Kuri does, whether through Tumblr, the Reiss subreddit, steam, or whatever. I was thinking of ways to do this and wanted to hear your opinions.**

**So the last thing I felt like saying has to do with this being late. You see I was faced with a large block, I felt really low, felt a little lost. I couldn't write, so friday, I spent my day talking to the Reiss Steam community group run by A-rav and chatting up Frozenhikki all day. Long story short it really reminded me how amazing the community is, people like Cat, A-rav, Shadow, all of whom I got to become friends with. The leads of this awesome community like kuri and frozen. All you guys, TCR and Kosa, all these super talented people. They make up a group I'm so happy to be a part of and knowing that, in the words of frozen, an update would put a smile on your faces, is all that lets me keep going. I love all of you dudes and dudettes, thanks so much for being a part of this. **


	5. Chapter 4 Communication Part 2

Chapter 4 Communication Part 2

Weiss Schnee the Heiress

Lonely silence was not always unpleasant, something Weiss had discovered sometime in her childhood. Despite her longing for others she found a certain comfort in the null noises of a place devoid of humans. Perhaps the word was not comfort, but safety. Her hideaway was the park alcove between Beacon's buildings, rich with crimson trees and blooming blossoms. She had found this place to be alone but over time, time spent with Ruby, her place became their place.

Weiss came here to be to be found, but having a moment where this sanctum was hers alone again felt akin to a warm blanket enveloping her on a cold night. Alone she took her seat in one of the solitary benches, the wind knocking some of the blossoms and forever red leaves around her. The wind was cooling, a feeling that stabilized her. Eyes closed she focused on her breath enjoying the momentary peace. When Weiss opened her eyes again she would have work to do, a thousand worries and fears, a thousand imperfections to be mended, but for that brief respite she was able to relax.

The moment ended as all did, and soon her eyes opening to see the silent park with its red trees surrounding it, their newly falling blossoms dancing about. The coolness would normally irritate her scar, but it felt nice on her pale snowy skin. Soon Ruby would come after her; soon she would have to say something. An apology for one, though she disdained doing so. Explanation as well, as if apologizing wasn't difficult enough. The other problem was easier, a book in hand already working on it. Weapons theory, a more basic manual, perhaps a good reference point into engineering. This was easy, knowledge over emotions. She could handle knowledge, a realm of facts either black and white, of definitives and absolutes. What was true and untrue could be mastered with studious work. Her emotions seemed impossible to chain, anger always leaking from the ice prison as well as spite and envy's little poison. It was the thing that held her back from being perfect, making the right decisions. Emotions blurred sense, made irrational things rational.

She wanted to be cold and calculated just like her father, because in life what _**is,**_is the only thing of relevance. Did she though? Ruby made her doubt that, made her doubt a lot of decisions. Made less than perfect seem perfect, and any attempt beyond seem like an exercise in vanity. Results matter, but they didn't make Weiss happy. Ruby made her happy, yet lessened her results. Idiotic philosophizing wouldn't do any good, Ruby would be taken away if she didn't perform. Again the results were what mattered. A big loop. It was almost funny, the fact that Weiss had just read the same three sentences of her book over again was not however. Furthermore that Weiss was so distracted in thought that if asked what the repeated sentence even was, she would have no answer made her irate.

Pushing away her world Weiss allowed for no more distractions. The wind, the leaves, the blossoms, the bench itself, everyone and everything was removed from her mind, and Weiss began to work. Soon the ideas written into the page were all that was real, even the paper of the page was beyond her thoughts, automatic and cold. The Heiress carved the basic contents into her mind, learning the basic designs of all common weapons.

"Hey Weiss…hi." From the blackness something called her softly, though Weiss did not listen. Instead she scowled, eyes still ripping its way through the contents of the book. The voice was not disrupted though. "Sorry I'm probably bothering you, but I think we should talk about stuff. I'm real sorry about earlier. I wasn't thinking I promise!" The blankness around Weiss began to evaporate making her grimace a bit more, still in the moment clinging to her perfect concentration. She was vaguely aware the voice was Ruby.

"Weiss...I'm sorry please don't be mad." Ruby asked not handling the silence well. Weiss noticed the abyss of focus draining from her, the outside world becoming real again. Reds and whites flooding back into her vision, whatever was left of the Heiress hyper-focus was destroyed by a push. Ruby had sat down next to on the bend, the poor girl pushing against Weiss' shoulder for attention. The fencer went from scowling to a frown, her concentration ruined, but more importantly that annoying guilt showing up again.

She didn't say anything at first, but when Weiss shot her gaze towards Ruby, the crimson partner broke her facade just a bit. Her girlfriend had the saddest look, desperately pulling and pushing on Weiss. That made her frown even harder. She never wanted Ruby to feel bad, that was her least desired end. That needy idiot was her dearest one.

"Stop it you dolt." Weiss growled with her head tilted up refusing to look at Ruby. Part of it was a little embittered desire to be a left alone just a moment longer, but bigger was Weiss' own distaste for hearing that apology. Ruby had nothing to apologize for. The Heiress had acted in anger, lashed out frustrated and hearing Ruby apologize just made her feel worse. Of course that made her angry and so the circle built on itself. Still actions were a choice. If she could control weakness like cowardice and sadness then she could control anger. Weiss did not lower her head, but her eyes refocused on Ruby's sad curled up form. The little red huntress balled herself up pressing up against Weiss' shoulder to get her attention. Sweet little thing that she was just looked up to her nervous.

"Ruby...you did really well. I'm sor-...I'm proud of you." The Heiress whispered unable to apologize as intended, her own fear of weakness prompting it to become a complement. No less true, but Weiss felt it inadequate. She hoped Ruby understood that she was not at fault. That despite the fencer's inability to say so properly, she was the real problem today.

"Thank you." Ruby muttered, though Weiss could not see her expression behind the red tipped bangs in front of her face. That little ball of huntress erupted, her pale arms clutching onto Weiss' body, her partners face nuzzled into the nape of the girl's neck. Ruby's breath hot on her skin eliciting a sudden mixed reaction.

"Ruby let go!" Weiss tensed up immediately, wanting to fight her way out of the embrace. Sudden things made her uncomfortable, something she had yet to fully work out, but she resisted the more violent urge.

"No." Ruby mumbled into Weiss' neck the hot breath causing her to shiver. Idiot had no idea how sensitive her neck was. The Heiress did her best not to blush, wanting to stand firm against her affectionate partner's infantile methods of persuasion. _'Ruby can be such a child sometimes.'_ Weiss thought, subconsciously reaching out and rubbing Ruby's shoulder to comfort her. _'I really need to stop being her mother too.' _That thought struck Weiss as even sadder, the last talk with Yang about her mother still being absorbed.

"Ruby…" Weiss said lowly, feeling too tired to be so strong and stern. Ruby pulled her head up, the messy straight weave of red tinted black hair. She always had such sweet eyes, made even more pitifully beautiful when she seemed sad. Silver, never so crude as to be called grey. She made for quite the cute puppy at times, though to tell her would just encourage her infantile behavior.

"I'm sorry. I didn't notice I was keeping you from studying. I'm so sorry, Weiss I didn't mean to put you behind. I know I keep causing you trouble, I'm so sorry. It's all my fault you're stressed and I was so excited about making you proud I didn't even think. I'm so dumb I just-" Ruby just started spilling it all out into this verbal cacophony of admission and guilt and whatever negative emotion the little huntress seemed to have. Weiss didn't like that, she hated it. Ruby did not need to make her proud, she had tarnished her perfect grade due to her own choices, and most irritable was that Ruby called herself dumb. A small part of the Heiress thought herself responsible for the seed of doubt that found its way in Ruby, making her feel like some sort of idiot. She was a dolt, a dunce, a deliberate pain even from time to time, but she was gifted and brilliant.

"Ruby. Shut up." Weiss said, fairly flatly, her teeth clenched in frustration. "It's okay. This was never your fault. You just lived up to your potential. I call you an idiot precisely because you are not an idiot...I just needed a minute to myself. I am better than that, it was pathetic and I'm not going to let that happen again. " Weiss had always found it difficult to speak ill of herself. Not because she was somehow perfect, but it was a sign of weakness, a crack in her authority. Her upbringing taught her that meekness in such things was damning, but time at Beacon had reinforced the deeper truth she had always known. Lying about weakness to save face would not save her from said weakness. Fact and fiction was monochrome, a rare true right and wrong.

"And I'm going to help you." Ruby said, still not letting Weiss go. Her usually unsure expression was not there. Instead she had a bit of fire in her eyes, despite still having the easy going smile. Ruby seemed sure of herself.

"What?" Weiss replied, inherently uncomfortable with charity.

"Weiss, you help me with so much...Weapons Engineering is just me, I love building stuff. I can teach you way more than the books can." Ruby rarely seemed so stern. She was strong in a fight, but not in conversation. Yet here she was still innocent looking, but staring at the Heiress directly, solidly. "Weiss…. I can do this. I can be helpful too, trust me." To this Weiss meant to say thank you, instead something else crossed her lips.

"I don't need your help Ruby…" The tone was irritable, yet Weiss felt embarrassed by her own hyperactive pride. She didn't need help, she could handle anything. The Heiress was the boss and tutored Ruby, not the other way around. She wanted to chastise herself for that self-centered thinking, but pride always won out in her.

"I know you're perfect." Ruby said with a loose sort of grin cute and innocent, making Weiss blush. She had not expected that. The younger huntress finally pulled out of the embrace sliding her soft hands into Weiss' swaying back and forth as she did so. "But together we will be faster… It's more uhh" She added laying a trap for Weiss to gently fall in.

"Efficient?" Weiss replied finishing the crimson girl's sentence. The silver fencer was letting herself be tricked; fully aware it was nothing but flattery. It was always so dreadfully effective on her, having her girlfriend aware of this was very worrying.

"Yeah exactly. We're a team, let's work like it." Ruby voiced cheery, the look in her eyes made it clear she knew that the conversation was going her way. "I can't let you just take care of me." She added sweetly and softly resting her head on Weiss' shoulders, her hand tightening on her partner's.

"I can handle it th-thank you." Weiss shouted a little, stuttering nervously at the affection. She tried as she could to hold a stern persona, but having her girlfriend snuggle up to her and say sweet things. This sort of atmosphere was getting easier. Before she would have felt trapped completely, like it was some sort of emotional prison, but now even as it made her a little stiff and nervous, the touch was not undesired. Only for her rose, no one else.

"I don't understand it all, but I know a lot of things are on you...let's carry it together." Ruby said while smiling brightly, tossing up their interlocked arms into the air ready for a big cheer. "Team Combat Skirts!" She added with a shout to the park, something Weiss opted out of for the sake of pride. The red trees replied with a gust of wind picking up the perpetually falling leaves. They always spun around the park, the enclosed area trapping the wind. A wonderful little place.

"They are very fashionable." Weiss said, trying not to smile.

"On you, definitely." Ruby replied with a giggle, pressing up against Weiss's shoulder.

"You're dumb" Weiss countered flatly, but despite the harshness of her words the ice princess pressed a light kiss on top of Ruby's forehead. An acceptable award for the compliment. "Flattery will get you nowhere with me." Weiss added with a self-satisfied grin, chin up.

"Liar!" Ruby shouted back tackling Weiss onto the brown bench, tossing the crimson leaves into the air and the books to the floor. Weiss immediately tried pushing her off, but that smiling bright eyed little dolt wouldn't let go. Giggling all the while that adorably insufferable dolt.

"I am not!" Weiss shouted back trying even harder to remove the red hooded leech off her. "Ruby, don't make me hurt you!" She added for good measure, considering exactly how much dust her blade would need to teach Ruby a lesson in personal space. Despite the threats, Ruby just giggled more, clutching the silver fencers form tighter.

"You won't." Ruby let out with a laugh loosening up her grip a bit as Weiss stop struggling quite as hard. Weiss would need to re-iron her clothes after this; Ruby's as well, though her partner would easily wear her clothes shabby and wrinkled. The Heiress could add that to the list of chores, though for now Weiss made no effort to move_. 'Might as well, it's not like it can get even more wrinkled.'_ She accepted her defeat and let Ruby stay tight to her, resting her head on Weiss' chest.

"Hey Weiss?" Ruby sounded, slightly hushed and mousy.

"Yes Ruby?" Weiss replied staring up into the canopy of red and pink tinted trees, the mild beams of light cutting into the park area broken light strains. Laying on that bench she knew a thousand things she needed to do, wanted to do, but didn't move. Ruby said nothing for a moment, then as the wind died down for a moment she aired her final fears.

"You're not going to break up with me right?"

"Who suggested that dunce?!" Weiss shouted, trying to move but Ruby was still holding her down. The pale huntress, with hair like the leaves, looked up at her with blushed with a embarrassed expression, though she had a bright grin filled with relief. The nerve of her to suggest breaking up over a test grade. One does not toss out everything on the first sign of trouble, Weiss would need to restructure things, true, but the point was to balance the elements of her life, not cut one out.

"Blake and I were talking and uhh." Ruby admitted with a chuckle pulling away enough to scratch her head, a nervous habit of hers.

"Blake?!" Weiss almost felt her teeth crack from how tight she clenched her jaw in anger. She knew that meddling cat was somehow behind all this, it explained Yang's concern and appearance, this whole thing was one of her little people puppet shows. Weiss knew she meant well, but to scare Ruby like that. This was too far.

"Hey, Blake didn't do anything!" A familiar voice shouted behind a bush, followed by a shush from another. That little Faunus and her coconspirator.

"Yang! Blake! Out!" Weiss shouted pulling herself off the bench nearly knocking Ruby off in the process. She could apologize later, but really, she could not deal with this sort of childishness. Yang stepped out of a bush, brushing the thin needles and leaves from her fine clothes. The golden girl a bit vain as always. The other one made no motion to move, but was hiding in plain sight, resting in a tree branch, the trouble maker herself.

"Told you that she would catch you." Blake said to Yang in her usual monotone, a smile on her face, though weak and weary as all her smiles were. She seemed perfectly content to just sit in that tree a few feet away from the others, how Weiss had missed her was something to fear. Blake was talented for sure.

"Everything's better! Let's go celebrate! I'm buying lunch-dinner, it's a Friday afternoon, no more classes!" Yang shouted rising her fists in celebration. If Weiss had any inclination to guess, Yang intended for fun Ruby clearly could not be a party to. Well not one she would allow Ruby to join again, though that club was a pleasant memory.

"Totally didn't tell her that by the way." Blake added sliding down from the tree in a saunter, the minx always taking it slower than the rest, never in the same hurry outside of battle. Sometimes Weiss thought Blake did it just to annoy her and the smile she had whenever Weiss got mad encouraged that line of thinking.

"Have you no sense of privacy?!" Weiss started taking a step towards the duo, thinking of exactly how to phrase her next lecture. A pale hand stopped her, grasping the cloth of her jacket. It was Ruby giving a sad look, attempting to ease things over with her sweet yet sad stare. It was so annoying that it always worked. "Ugh...Fine let's go" Weiss allowed, feeling too tired for more yelling.

Ruby smiled giving Weiss a quick embrace before speeding after her sister. The two of them always were like that, bolting ahead of the rest of them. Unless they were out to do real work. In that case Weiss would have to drag them, but for a night out? Not so much. Somehow it always ended up with the silent duo, Blake and Weiss. The tension had cooled some, though the Faunus' self-satisfied smile irritated Weiss. Perhaps the meddling was a bit much, but Blake had done more good than harm, despite how uncomfortable the spying made her.

"So I heard some rumors that Ruby is dating Jaune. And others that she is dating a certain black cat." Weiss opened with making some amount of small talk. The rumors were false to anyone who knows those involved. Pyhrra and Jaune were obviously involved with each other, and Blake was never interested in anything, but her novels and schemes. Weiss felt no sense of fear or doubt in Ruby, but if anyone one knew where these rumors were coming from, it was Blake.

"Scandalous. I wouldn't know anything about it." Blake answered in a monotone sarcastic voice. Weiss returned her comment with a look of complete and total disbelief. After a moment Blake rolled her eyes and gave another weak sort of smile "Just clever misdirection, nothing you need to worry about." Again with the meddling, though if rumors as unbelievable as these were around… It would tarnish the credibility of all rumors involving Ruby.

"Thank you." Weiss replied begrudgingly. She did not like that sort of underhanded tactic, but Blake had helped cover their trail once again. She was a good… perhaps friend. If Weiss could have this kind of friend. By now they had entered the dorms and their voices became hush whispers. Blake looked around for a moment. Choosing only when the dorm hall was empty to speak.

"Anything for our Princess and her rose." She finally replied in vague terms thinking herself clever. Weiss hated the Princess name, but for once, she didn't argue with Blake about it. Honestly it seemed that name was going to stick no matter how hard she tried.

"Welcome home Ladies. Time to get ready for a night out." Yang shouted to the entire dorm hall, thankfully empty. She took her scroll out and the dorm room lock, set only to their scrolls. The lock was undone, and the door came open, free for the four of them to get ready for whatever nonsense Yang was planning.

Except there already people inside.

Weiss felt her heart freeze, the blood in her body turn to ice, though her expression turned glacier hard. Inside stood the thing she most feared right now, but it was impossible. There was no way, it was still too early. Not enough time for word to get out about today.

"Friends!" One of their guests shouted a familiar...friend… to all of team RWBY, Penny. She was just another weird piece of the entire puzzle. The major question of why and how she got in her was irrelevant to the form in the room's center. Sitting on a stool, one not from the original room, dressed in an all-white suit, trimmed in black and red accents mirroring his order, was a man she recognized from all her days. A thin man, attractive though getting on in age. Constantly with a just slight bit of a beard, like a day after shaving. His close-cropped hair and only slight bangs never obscured his deceptively friendly expression. In his hands was Ruby's Journal, one of fine red paper and personal secrets.

"Zawisza!" Weiss shouted in horrified disbelief. Her father right hand man just smiled brightly his dim brown eyes appearing just as friendly as his smile and he scratched his head like a boy who had just got caught in his sister's room.

"Hello everyone! It's good to meet you all. I've been waiting for you Weiss!"

*****Sorry still in a bit of Funk so excuse my lateness. . Looks like things are starting to get a little dangerous :D The updates for this one are a bit minimal. Wanted to thank A-rav again for his Beta work, and for mentioning me in his own fic Icy Rose, check it out as well as 'Best of RWBY fan fiction" Community group for adding Melting Vale to their list. Next I wanted to say remember the competition is still on, don't be timid I know more of you can create something cool! :D Remember it's only open till the 1st.**

**Well thank you all for sticking with me and remember to leave a review, every little one helps me in so many ways, trust me. **

**Also for those interested, the song Credens Justitiam, specifically the classical cover by Qonell was the primary music used to help me with this.**

**Edit: Ziiroh problems fixed**


	6. Chapter 5: Spring Snows

Chapter 5: Spring Snows

Ruby the Bankert

"Hey that's my journal!" Ruby shouted the sense of nervousness and mortification all hitting her at once. That journal was most certainly private, all her most intimate and personal writings were etched into that fine little red notepad. So many little stories starring her and another member of her team meant for no one else to read. A very special member who would kill her if said person read any of those inscribed short stories. "Give it back!" Yes she needed it back now, immediately, post-haste. With a blush as fine as a can of cherries, Ruby bolted forward, rushing the strange man in their room. What was the worst that could happen? He could kill her. Not as bad as if her girlfriend found out she had been writing pirate fiction about them.

The older man put up no fight, tossing the journal in the air and taking a quick step to the side. Ruby caught her diary midair, giving herself enough time to flip and land upside down on the floor, clutching her journal vigorously for dear life. All her secrets were safe, and though Ruby felt embarrassed knowing she would have to explain that, she knew it would be better than explaining _Reiss__ at Sea_.

"You know Miss Rose, your writing is not so bad. In time I think you can write something great. You must watch your technicals, poor grammar will give the reader the impression you don't care. All things considered I give it about a 4 out of-"

"Please stop!" Yelp Ruby still a mess on the floor, clutching her notebook in a vain hope that he would just shut up and go away. Ruby opened her eyes to look at Weiss afraid she had caught on, but instead of finding her girlfriend staring annoyed at her the Heiress was locking eyes with fury in full force, all on the mystery man who she seemed to know.

"Zawisza, no more games, what are you doing here?!" Weiss spoke, nearly screamed really, at the man called Zawisza. Ruby had seen her like this before, all her weight shifted to her back foot and arms crossed in displeasure. The man, dressed in fine white smiled scratching the back of his head, nervously acting like a little kid caught with a hand in the cookie jar.

"You know this guy Weiss?" Blake asked, stepping into place on Weiss' left, covering her flank. The Faunus kept her hand on the Gambol Shroud, expression chill but eyes tight with suspicion. Ruby just hoped they wouldn't completely destroy the room in a fight; the bed was really hard to get right after all.

"Should I escort the creep out?" Yang added stepping to Weiss' right slamming her fists together for emphasis. _'Well at least if we destroy the room we might get bigger one!'_ Ruby kicked herself into gear, with a flip landing perfectly ready for battle, hand on dearest Crescent Rose other brushing her skirt back into order.

"He works for my family. He's one of my father's enforcers." Weiss let out with a deep breath, lowering her arms, one hand going slack, the other resting firmly on her blade. Weiss was in total serious mode. Times like this Ruby felt like Weiss would make a far better leader than anyone seemed to think she could.

"I am a knight of Schnee, Sir Zawisza, and it is pleasure to meet you all." The apparent enforcer bowed at the mentioning, making light of it with a goofy sort of easy smile. "Like I said I'm here to see you, I have good news, you're all-"

"It's a sleepover friends. we are going to Castle White!" Penny shot up, reminding everyone that the bit of a sweetheart; bit of a weirdo was even here. She shot her hands out for emphasis, a little awkwardly and robotic as she did it.

"What?!" Everyone shouted in unison caught completely by surprise, this earning a knock on the wall from angry dorm room neighbors. Honestly with how much noise team RWBY always made, it was hard for Ruby not to feel bad for them.

"Penny is just a little excited." The older gentleman clarified in a soft apologetic approach, reaching over and patting Penny on the head, the strange girl looking back up at him with admiring eyes, seemingly thirsty for approval. "Lord Schnee has expressed an invitation for all of you to join him this weekend at a stay in Winterstown, all at his own expense." This time he spoke with a sort of fancy gravitas, announcing it more to the room than any specific member of team RWBY. Penny clapped, Blake glared suspicious, Weiss was taken aback, Yang smiled and Ruby eyes widened at the thought. She was going to have to meet Weiss' parents.

"Aww yeah, party at Weiss' house!" Yang shouted, first to be freed from the daze. Excitedly she ran to her duffle bag, throwing assorted goods in there as fast as she could. Ruby wanted to shake her. _'Dummy, this was not going to be some party_'. Schnees were super rich and fancy. What could she wear even? Her combat skirt was the fanciest clothing she had, except maybe the school uniform. Would that be considered lazy? This was way too sudden and the panic made Ruby dizzy.

"You can't be serious… Sir… We aren't even allowed…" Weiss' seemed to choke something down, looking very awkwardly at Blake, giving out an apologetic sigh of discomfort. "allowed to have Blake over." Blake shut her eyes for a moment seeming to almost shiver at the line, but kept complete composure, only an annoyed frown on her lips to tell it upset her.

"Your father has decided to make an exception. A special vacation for team RWBY, a sort of thank you for taking care of our dearest Lady Schnee." Zawisza replied, emphasizing exception, he looked cheery and pleasant enough, but the way his stare lingered on Blake for a moment was a little creepy. Still it pacified Ruby's Faunus friend even if it seemed to make Weiss more unnerved. _'Wait Lady Schnee...does that mean?'_

"Weiss you are a princess!" Ruby squealed, forgetting herself in the moment. She really was dating a princess, which meant she was a knight in crimson armor! The little huntress always wanted to be in a fairy tale.

"Shut up! I'm a lady not a princess and that rank hasn't mattered in twenty years." Weiss turned red blushing, but trying to keep her composure, crossing her arms in indignation. '_Such a cute thing.'_ If it wasn't for the creepy stranger, Ruby would tackle her right then and there.

"I think it fits you very well." The knight said rather sweetly causing Weiss to snap back to serious bossy mode and staring him down, even if the red still lingered on her nose and cheeks. Zawisza seemed delightfully oblivious, but it did not seem to give Ruby's girlfriend any comfort "Regardless I will be back to pick you up in an hour, should that be enough time to pick you all up. We will be taking airship and be there in time for dinner."

"And if they don't want to go?" Weiss finally asked, Ruby only starting to consider how this could actually be a bad thing.

"Oh I don't think that'll be a problem. I'm sure they wouldn't dare miss out on the chance." Zawisza finished clapping his hands together like a salesmen right about to seal the deal on a pinch. This however made Weiss furious, her teeth clenched in complete disgust, red faced and bitter.

"Leave." The Heiress ended, seeming to shove down anything else she would have preferred to say. Ruby felt a tenseness in her chest she couldn't describe, somehow there was another conversation going on between the lines of this one, she wasn't privy to. Somewhere there Weiss was arguing alone.

"Yes, my lady. Good day to you all." The Enforcer finished with all the courtesy one could expect of the high people in society. Though the mood didn't call for it, the actions and way this man talked made Ruby consider that modern Knights might be more like super butlers. "Come now Penny."

"Yes sir!" The seemingly robotic companion shouted giving her customary salute, stopping only to see Ruby for a moment. "Bye friend. We shall have lots fun." Salutations finished the emerald eyed girl skipped past Zawisza and out the door. The older man chuckled at this about to leave before Weiss cut him off.

"How are you involved with Penny?" Weiss asked, giving voice to what Ruby had wondered, but didn't think to ask. Penny sort of popped in and out of their lives, but this was a little weird. Weiss' inquiry stopped the older gentlemen for a moment, but he just shrugged his shoulders and went back to smiling.

"Do you think anything that expensive doesn't involve us?" With that he closed the door, leaving a mixed bag of emotions for Ruby and judging from Weiss' expression, a sense of defeat on the heiress.

"Shit." Weiss cursed, making Ruby's protective side kick in. Rushing over to her, the crimson huntress reach over and grabbed the Heiress' hands. Times like this a hug was too much for her, and Ruby was never good with words so this sort of touch was the only thing she could do. Weiss breathed, but didn't say anything. She was thinking, tense, but thinking. Of what Ruby just had to trust she would say in a moment.

The whole room fell silent, even Blake seemed to be in her own head, just resting her slim frame on on her bookcase. The only one making noise was Yang who was rummaging through things tossing clothes, dust, ammo, snacks and all sorts of stuff into duffel bags. "Well time to have some fun." The older sister remarked breaking the silence as she said it. Ruby could feel Weiss tense up angry, the pale nearly frozen hands gripping Ruby's tightly.

"This is not going to be fun." She said lowly, voice full of frustration. "All of you stay here; I'll go and try to deal with my father. I think I know what this is all about." Weiss tried to pull away looking all tough, but Ruby didn't let her. No she didn't let go, instead looked up at her girlfriends serious expression, up at that pretty little scar that no one knew the story of

"Is it me?" Ruby asked feeling a tight coil of guilt in her chest. What else could it have been? Weiss was near perfect, never let anything out and was super good at not getting the two of them caught. Ruby was the dangerous one, of course it was her fault, and that look of both frustration and hurt on Weiss' face told Ruby she had hit the nail on the head.

"Weiss. I don't think you can stop me invitation was for me too." Yang said with a smile and a wink, her bag already packed and ready to go.

"If Yang's going I need to make sure she doesn't make an uncivilized fool of herself." Blake added, turning away to pack her own things, shaking her head all the while.

"And I'm not leaving you alone." Ruby said herself. Letting go for now, but only to pack up and go face whatever trouble she had caused her partner. Team RWBY stuck together like every other time and Ruby was so proud of that.

"This is not some fun trip girls, my father doesn't do anything without reason." Weiss gave her final warning, looking to each of the girls, but they all were busy packing, getting ready for whatever would come.

"Heard ya." Yang said without a care, loading another bandolier of bullets into her golden gauntlets Ember Celica. "We're going princess, deal with it."

* * *

"Weiss...this is your house." And so it was, from above and below it the castle seemed impossible, cast in black and white. The stone only in a uniform state of glowing or utter darkness. It was nested above the oddly named city of Winterstown. It didn't seem like a town at all with all industrial with smoke and zooming lights from all sorts of vehicles, but the center was without unnatural light one side glowing by the moon bright the other pitch. It was breathtaking, a structure as massive as all of Beacon coupled with massive towers and rows of flying buttresses like a web of moonstone. What made it seem even more majestic was that here in the north it was still snowing. Drifting little drops of white light it seemed. This place was forever winter. "You must be a princess." The princess of Ice and Snow.

"It's not as impressive as it looks." Weiss whispered to Ruby, her hair fixed back to a very un-Weiss-like symmetric ponytail. She looked pristinely beautiful in the snow. There wasn't much time to appreciate it as a couple. Their feelings only really maturing at the height of winter, but here in the land of snowy spring, Ruby got to look at Weiss with her silver hair crested by small snowflakes, as a pair. Ruby didn't think about it, but as they got off the airship, as the two of them stood looking at the same Castle, one mystified, the other dreading, she reached out for her girlfriend's hand. Almost reaching it before...

"Everyone off. Right this way now. Lead the way Penny." The Knight's voice snapped her back to the world that was, not the fairy tale winter she just lost herself in. As if Weiss was a flame Ruby pulled away having been warned public affection was deadly here.

"Friend, this way." Penny motioned before grabbing Ruby and pulling her towards the gate, leaving Weiss to follow, kicking up a white trail as she fell behind them all. It should have been her hand gleefully taking Ruby back home. Penny seemed happy though, Yang equally so, the excited blonde bolting up the steps. Even Blake seemed impressed, trying to seem cool, but her eyes darted in every direction trying to take in the architecture, her ears back in her bow twitching. At the top of the steps, dressed in fine white furs was an older lady with the dimmest emerald eyes she had ever seen, though a gentle sort of happy air to her.

"My my, so these are my daughters friends." Ruby grew suddenly super nervous. The older woman was Weiss' mother, what would, what should she say? Was it too obvious to try and be talkative and immediately introduce herself, or maybe play it off as formal and cool? Instead she stood frozen, face starting to blush knowing she was making an awful fool of herself.

"Hi." Ruby finally muttered terribly afraid. People were so confusing.

"Heyo miss Schnee!" Yang called out kicking a pile of snow down at Blake. The Faunus dodged it of course, running up another two steps. Just for her to gently kick Yang in the shins.

"Sorry about that Ma'am, she doesn't know much in the way of manners. I'm Blake Belladonna and this is Yang." Blake said flat toned, but as soon as soon as Weiss' mom chuckled Ruby could see a small grin from on the Faunus' lips.

"Hello mother." Weiss stepped up to the group, her posture perfect prim and proper. She held her chin high and kept herself looking in control, But Ruby knew she was nervous. The red on her cheeks was not the cold, Weiss never gets cold.

"My Lady Schnee, you mustn't wait outside, it is much too cold." Zawisza said with certain gallantry rushing over to Ms. Schnee. the older woman brushed him off however, taking a step towards Weiss.

"Good to see you my dear, I'm glad you could make it back on such short notice." As her mother looked at Weiss, Ruby noticed it seemed to make the younger Schnee sad, even if a bit relieved to see a fairly cheerful mother greet them. Ruby knew she was a little happier about this, not as scary as what she had thought the Schnees were going to be like. They were still people and people were scary, but not that bad. "I just wanted to say that I'm so happy to see you, but we must come inside. It's too cold for you all outhere."

The inside was no better though. The moonstone hall had nonsensical holes at the top and while it bathed the scene in moonlight the opening also choked it with an icy atmosphere. The long hall of arches and openings ended at a stained glass window in the shape of the Schnee snowflake behind what was likely once a throne. Stairs led up both the sides and the hall was meant to hold an untold number of people. The moonstone glow made some things unspeakably bright while others dim and faded. Nothing ever had this effect that Ruby had seen, but the whole building seemed barren. Barren aside from giant stone knights whom stood silent every few feet. They seemed to have eyes that followed, specifically following Blake. Ruby could hear Weiss sigh as the whole group reached the end.

"Where is father?" Weiss said aloud standing before the glass crest of her family.

"Fixing your mess." A voice a thunder in the hall, something that garbed all in the rooms attention, including the previously thought inanimate statues.

"Father" Weiss muttered. Ruby swallowed upon hearing that. Up on the railings stepping down the stairs to them below was an incredibly tall gaunt man, someone that looked more a ghost than person. His hair was faded silver, his build tall, but skinny. He had the clearest blue eyes casting a glare on them all. It took all her might to keep Ruby from noping right out of there, her social anxiety hitting an all-time high. This was exactly what she feared, and he was coming straight their way.

"Mr. Schnee sir!" Penny immediately ran up to him excited like a child seeing their father come home. "Aufhören." A word Ruby could not understand came from his lips and with it Penny stop, turning into a statue just like the guards around them.

"Father, you called us all here very sudden we did not have time to prepare anything more formal." Weiss started stepping ahead and between the group, but the tall Schnee just walked right past her, making a straight line right for Ruby.

"You must be Ruby Rose." He spoke with a sort of dismissive displeasure. As if he disliked, but didn't care about Ruby all at once. Either way, Ruby felt so uncomfortable she spent the moment reacquainting herself with her shoes. "Look at me girl." He added, though Ruby did nothing, instead moved on to his shoes, much more expensive fine black leather. Somewhere in her thoughts, he did something Ruby wouldn't have expected. Not roughly but just as frighteningly he pulled Ruby's face up by the chin, looking down at her with studious blue eyes. Seeming to search for something. "So this is Summer's bastard."Ruby went wide eyed. _'mother...'_

"Hey what do you think you're doing!" Yang screamed eyes already flooded red, only stopped by Zawisza who held her up trying to dust off her clothes and saying some sort of apology about too much dust on the airship. Ruby thought she would have clobbered him, if Weiss hadn't stopped everything.

"Father. They are our guests." Weiss cut in, pulling her father's hand away from Ruby. The elder Schnee smacked the younger's hand away glaring her daughter down with a look of resentment. Weiss in all her coolness did not back down in, returning that same look.

"So my daughter means to chastise me about the treatment of guest. Very well have it your way. All of you are welcome to make your way to the dining room; I will join you there shortly. Zawisza will carry your bags up to your rooms." Weiss' father began leaving as soon as he arrived, stepping back up the stairway, only stopping a moment by the frozen Penny. "Reactivate the android when you're done Zawisza will you." And with that he was gone.

"The nerve of that guy, you okay Sis?" Yang was all over Ruby the moment it was over, big sis a faithful mother bear to her all of her life. Weiss mouthed an apology, but did not move to embrace Ruby like Yang was, her mother was still in the room after all, awkwardly trying to calm things down.

"My apologies, my husband is under quite a bit of stress, you see one of the extended family is here to argue over inheritance practices and such. He did not mean such nastiness, Ms. Rose, like the flower right?" She seemed sweet enough bowing ever so slightly at Ruby in apology. She lacked a threatening persona, definitely the favorite of the two parents if Ruby had to choose.

"Just call me Ruby, Ms. Schnee. I'm your daughters...partner after all, she's kind of like my co-captain in a way. Thank you for letting us over." Ruby finally found herself a bit, trying to think of her own mom, what she would want to hear in times like this. Admittedly she really didn't have any idea, but it would be nice to think it was more stuff like this.

"Well thank you Ruby. Well enough dallying, he is right we do have dinner ready and waiting for you right this way."

The dining room was something else entirely. Bright with the light of at least a hundred candles and five fires, the room alone was eight by five dorm rooms in size, the walls decorated with scrolls of the Schnee snowflake. With fires burning in all four corners and one at the back, the room had hundreds of tables all finely clothes, but most empty. Sitting slightly above the rest was one large table in finer white cloth with silver snowflakes at the end. On this table was an entire splattering of nothing but food, more food than Ruby could conceive of this group even eating. Three servants all stood in waiting, but the entire team seemed dumbstruck, aside from Weiss who just began to walk towards the table.

"Who else is coming? This is so much!" Yang started running up to her own seat, finding a nice place by the table end next to a finely carved bird of some sort. Blake stood most distant, a mix of both distaste and mysticism from the look of it.

"Is this normal?" The Faunus asked settling on suspiciously cool. Ruby wondered what had offended her so much about the food, but Weiss seemed to know and looked back shaking her head no. Ruby wondered how true that was. All this rich people stuff was kind of astounding thinking of how Weiss had grown up in a building made for giants.

"Sit sit. I had everything prepared to be as varying as possible. I even had some more traditional Faunus dishes ordered in; I did not want anyone to go hungry!" The mother announced while pushing Ruby and Weiss into the seats next to each other opting herself to sit across from Ruby and next to Blake. Yang of course sat at the table end next to Blake and Weiss, wanting to reach the most possible food.

"Thank you for the special consideration." Blake replied scratching her bow at that. Probably not sure whether to find that somewhat touching or a tad bit ignorant, but opting to acknowledge the sweet attempt. Ruby felt a little better now, eating with everyone. She found enough courage to reach with her left hand over to Weiss' right, knowing that she was left handed and herself ambidextrous enough to eat with her right. The first attempt ended with Weiss swatting it away, but Ruby didn't give up, after another bite she tried again.

"So Ruby. I hear you are the youngest student at Beacon in recent history, must have been quite a feat." Weiss' mother asked looking at Ruby excitedly. Ruby would have wondered why her mother was always giving Ruby so much attention, but currently she was engaged in a hand war under the table and could not think much on it.

"I impressed Professor Ozpin and Goodwhich during an incident in Vale. So I went straight from my second year at Signal to my first at Beacon. Nothing Weiss couldn't do though, so I was just lucky." Finally Ruby got Weiss' hand, though her girlfriend preferred staring into a wall instead of looking at her while she did it. _'So cute.' _She thought gleefully, intertwining her fingers with Weiss'.

"My sisters a total badass is all." Yang voiced opened mouth much to Blake and Weiss' mortification, though the compliment made Ruby blush,

"Yang! Watch your manners." Both of them shouted, which made Weiss' mother laugh pleasantly, though that did not stop the monochrome duo from glaring at Yang who in turn laughed at the whole thing. Truly the meal had been entirely pleasant, but the Castle was not destined to stay that way. Walking into the room, his knight directly in step was the father himself looking even more displeased and gaunt. Ruby didn't like it, instead she squeezed Weiss' hand as the Heiress tried to let go.

"I apologize; my second uncle, ingrate that he is, has been trying to convince me to alter my will in favor of his son. Fool should know better than to ask that." His own plate was small, a dutiful and sensible meal. His drink of choice clear water as opposed to the wine his wife sipped from. "On top of that another attempt by the White Fang on a shipment. Ended much more poorly for them than I think they would have wished." He ate with perfected manners, never speaking if even a microbe of food was in his mouth. He even kept his elbows off the table. No one keeps their elbows off the table.

"You could try fairly negotiating with them." Blake muttered only barely showing restrain. "Sir." She added trying to make it more polite. Weiss gave her a look, but it was too late. To his credit, the Lord of Castle White did not seem fazed or offended, instead continued chewing, only starting again once he finished chewing.

"Appease a dog by feeding it whenever it barks and that dog will never grow silent." Blake acted uneffect, but her fingers were clawed into the wood of the table. Now a silence had struck the table, one nobody seemed willing to end, except for of course the one person who simply didn't care.

"Hey thanks for having us over big guy, I really like the food, It's really going down good." Yang stated up, eating as she pleased while saying it; something that irritated Weiss to no end. "Hate to look a meal in the mouth, but what's got us going here on such short notice." Ruby thought Weiss would have tried to kill her sister if the Heiress wasn't anchored to her. Yang was a great big sis, but Ruby had a feeling this could only make things go bad quicker.

"Well" Lord Schnee noted with emphasis. "It's going down _well_." Yang shrugged off the correction to her grammar immediately, but Ruby felt that this was a real bad start. Now he thought Yang was stupid and rude. "I wanted to give all of you an opportunity to enjoy a weekend in Winterstown. After that, the three of you can return to Beacon richer for the experience. Simple, easy, painless." He said so with a very matter of fact tone, never an octave high or low. One might notice it as normal causal speaking had the older Schnee not stopped eating as if to properly discuss business.

"What do you mean the three of us?" Ruby asked believing she knew exactly what was meant by that and the sweat she felt begin to form in Weiss' hand meant her girlfriend thought the same. Blake noticed it too and stopped eating; even Yang noticed something wrong and looked to Ruby for clarification.

"Yes, Ms. Belladonna, Ms. Long, and you as well Ms. Rose."

"What about Weiss?" Ruby asked knowing full well the answer was told to her three times already, but whatever vain hope was there she wanted to see if maybe it was just a mistake. They had been right to not let Weiss go by herself. He means to...

"I have tried my best to speak with only pleasantries as my daughter so insisted, but to speak most clearly to you Bankert. Weiss will be staying here, to continue her studies under private tutors or in one of the many other schools, perhaps in Mistral." Ruby didn't know what bankert meant, but whatever it was the way he said it meant it could only be something wrong. Ruby felt Weiss rise in her seat filled with fury.

"You can't do that. Beacon is the best school for Huntresses!"

"Unfortunate that you have taken to studying dance by moonlight instead." Ruby felt her heart sink as she realized exactly how right Weiss had been. "Did you really think we wouldn't find out?"

*****Hello and sorry for the wait, like really really sorry I intended for this to be out Friday while I work on it from the plane, however with how tiny they make seats nowadays I literally couldn't fit my laptop on the tray space and open it all the way before I hit the top. American Airlines is the worst! Not to mention I was in the middle seat, so it could get awkward writing an ff between two larger than average older ladies. Either way I'm sorry for the wait I hope you all can understand it is due to family affairs and such. . sorry.**

**Winner of the Art competition is FF user 8bitInferno, 8bit sent me a lovely characterless art of the park in Melting Vale, I like the rendition and love how 8bit did the shadowing on the title. Everyone else who entered like Kam, Someguy, and Ambidextrouslion thank you! Any other art is so wanted, and while she needed added time I expect a dark horse entry from amazing Frozen hikki, whom released another October Storm chapter you all should read.**

**For those of you wondering, I openly speculate that Penny was built by Schnee, being as they are a rich and powerful group and I believe this explains the low security on the shipment that was coming in during the end of RWBY volume one. Also if you think there isn't enough Penny in this chapter, don't worry I agree.**

**Also for a more difficult translation note, Bankert means literal bastard (unwed parents) in archaic German. This is a reference to my theory that Ruby is the child of an adulterous relationship between Summer and Yangs father. **

**Also thank A-rav for edits!**


	7. Chapter 6: First Day

**Chapter 6: First Day**

**Weiss the Heiress**

Time moved forward, but the dining room had lost all motion aside from Father who politely took small bites from his staek. Never so much food as to pause for too long before speaking, as if this was the most normal conversation to ever grace the table before. The rest of the guests seemed frozen. Ruby sat mouth agape and eyes wide with confusion and anxiety. Blake was the most reserved juxtaposed to Ruby, however her amber eyes stared with fire at father. Mother just looked down at her food, unsure of herself. Weiss could see she knew about this, she was part of the trap, likely why she seemed so afraid to look at the Heiress. Yang was the odd one; she looked almost pleased and angry all at the same time. She almost had the fight she truly wanted.

"Father, I don't understand. I've been the top score at school I was just out with friends one time." All of Weiss's fury emptied out of her. She didn't know why she even bothered pretending to not know exactly what this was all about. There was no way to hide this as mere friendship; they had kissed that night, kissed in open air for all who watched. The worst feeling was knowing she could have simply waited that night to get home.

"If you have any sense Weiss you will know not to play the fool with me. Your illicit dealings are what I speak of. Keeping a mistress is ill advised, but to do so publicly is unheard of. Ungrateful, this family gave you everything yet you insist on sullying the name. Do you have any idea what you have done? " Father's voice raised, but never approached shouting outright. It had power enough in it to force Weiss back to her seat. He had that way about him, made others feel meek and stupid around him, and forced them down without even needing to shout over them. It was infuriating. "Even now our relatives mock you, 'Weiss the heirless' they call you. Your great uncle has already offered his son as a replacement for you. An insult I never thought that idiot brave enough for."

"I….we didn't mean to be caught. I...I can do better about it sir. I...please let Weiss go back to school." Weiss was shocked to see Ruby beg, to look up at father for the first time today and at a time when no one seemed to have the courage to stand up to him at all. Father noticed this and grimaced stopping his eating to look back."

"No. Not a bankert and not a Rose. Not for my daughter." Weiss wanted to scream back, scream back _'Why not?!' _It wouldn't matter her status or background if it was secret. She wouldn't have been the first. Kings and Queens of Vale had lived much the same, but no it wasn't about that. It was about hiding it and failing at it, it was somehow about whom Ruby was and for all her anger Weiss knew her father had them all trapped.

"It's go time? I think its go time!" Yang shouted her gauntlets coming alive as she stood up. Weiss tried to shout for her to stop, but those golden gauntlets were out pointed straight at her father, Yang's eyes and hair ablaze. That was it, the last checkmate for them and oh how father relished it. The man never smiled, but for a moment he grinned at Yang's threat of violence. "You're about to rethink this whole thing gramps, or taste a big sisters wrath." Weiss would have called her a fool, but it hardly mattered now.

"You can't do this!" Ruby shouted standing with her sister, at least with the sense not to pull Crescent Rose out and mark them both. Father seemed assumed by it, raising one brow as he took another small bite of meat, ending his rather small meal.

"And what court of law will deny me, hmm? Weiss is a seventeen year old girl. You are her fifteen year old half-orphaned consort. I am her father, a lord by birth but more importantly CEO of Remnant's largest distributor of dust." He paused for a moment to drink a light sip of water, making light of the threats of violence. Yang didn't back down and Blake remained suspiciously silent. "Now that you have threatened me, I could by law have you all thrown in jail or killed in defense. I do feel oh so threatened. That is the law, correct Zawisza?" Father finished turning back to his cohort who stood unmoved by the proceedings.

"Yes my lord, I do believe that is the law." The old knight replied tugging on his tuxedo casually.

"And I do feel threatened, don't you Zawisza?" Father replied in very unconvincing manner, between sips, and tapping his hands on the table. Weiss had never felt so absolutely defeated. She wanted to stab him right then and there. Of course she wouldn't, but the man had stepped on her pride, her friends, her teammates, her Rose. Oh how she hated him.

"Oh absolutely my lord. Miss Long is a very powerful young lady. Strongest in her class and prone to bloodshed some say, but of course I would never listen to such gossip." Zawisza replied with a smile as if congratulating Yang, such a friend to her father he was, such a polite man, and such a worm.

"My love I don't think that is very necessary, they seem like sweet girls." Mother replied reaching over to him, grasping his palm trying to calm him down. Father nodded, though awkward as he seemed accepting the slightest gentle touch.

"Oh most certainly I would prefer a nice supper without incident." Father offered staring Yang down, the blonde not moving, the fire in her eyes turning even more hateful. While Weiss wanted to knock the life out of him, this was not the right time or place.

"Don't do it Yang, we have three days. I assume we are still free to do as we will for the next three days right? That is what you said Lord_ Schnee_." Blake had a special venom in her voice when she said Schnee. It did not offend Father though there was no way he did not notice. Instead he nodded with agreement.

"We won't let you stop her from going to Beacon." Ruby spoke up, not sounding angry or vicious just as if stating the obvious. Weiss felt a little warm hearing her declare war over the Heiress, but it was naive to think it meant anything in the end. There was no way to beat Father, but perhaps convincing him was possible.

"You have your three days, after that we will see how strong your conviction is." Father finished as he downed what little remained of his drink, tossing his napkin over the remains of his plate politely. "Excuse me while I go deal with the usurpers." Father stood politely, needing no permission to leave his own table, the maids taking away his dishes immediately. Weiss stood as well knowing it was now or never.

"Father may I speak to you in private." Weiss asked, pushing her own plate aside as politely as she could.

"I should expect as much. Do so after dinner and showing our guests to their rooms. We wouldn't want to be rude."

The dinner didn't last much longer after that. Mother had slinked off shortly after, trying to speak as sweetly about each and every one of them before she went off to bed as if she was not just as much a part of this decision as Father was. Soon Zawisza called the supper officially over. It was not without some charm however. Yang had decided the most immediate way to get revenge was to literally eat everything on the table rendering her both very ill and bloated. It was enough of a push to get everyone back to normal as they started their trek to the guest rooms. Everyone except Weiss who remained focused on her future meeting with Father.

"Alright just this way the rooms are just up these steps." Zawisza announced bringing them to the fourth floor, where Weiss lived among the long line of empty bedrooms. At least Father had been kind enough to let them all stay on the same floor, though each of the ladies of RWBY would undoubtedly have a separate room, all of which predetermined and likely bugged. That was to be expected, however something along the moonstone halls that greeted them was completely unexpected.

"Yo cousin!" As if the nightmare of mockery would never end Weiss was greeted by her most vilified of cousins, dressed in uniform of her knightly rank. A white uniform trimmed in red, the red snowflake crest of the Knights of Schnee sown into the front of her coat. Her hands rested on her two bow-blades, ever the tools of false adventurers. Her hair was shorter than Weiss had remembered. the silver strains let loose to just her shoulders.

"What are you doing here?!" Weiss started, standing defensively. She had never liked this particular cousin of all her family. In what little time they spent together as children was nothing more than irritable. She was never held to the same standard as Weiss was, being last in line to a cadet part of the Schnee family, she had no restraints.

"Not going to bother introducing me? You always were rude. I'm Weiss Schnee, but call me Vera. Everyone does to avoid the confusion." Weiss Schnee the 3rd of Vermillion to be exact. Not to be confused with Weiss Schnee the 4th of Castle White who was the Weiss of team RWBY. For national leaders nobility had a difficult time coming up with new names. "If you must know, I came here with my dad. He's currently getting kicked out of the castle for trying to convince your pops to let my brother inherit this oversized concrete nightmare."

"I heard, I'm asking why _you_ are bothering us." Weiss had no time for Vera's foolishness. Though knowing Father had not exaggerated the family infighting was both a comfort and a horrible feeling.

"I want to check out your plaything everyone's talking about." Vera dared to say stepping passed Weiss and towards the other members of RWBY. "Who is it? The Blonde? No too simple not risqué enough. The younger one? A cradle robber, how delightful! Or perhaps the Faunus, oh that would be scandalous wouldn't it!" Vera mused looking over each one of them.

"Leave them alone Vera." Weiss growled, hand on her blade thinking of how a duel might turn out between them.

"Oh someone is mad! Afraid I'll steal your girl brat?" Vera started turning back to Weiss with a smile on her lips as she got the exact reaction she wanted.

"Leave Weiss alone!" Ruby shouted stepping right up to Vera, a small thing by comparison to Vera's older and taller body.

"There you are!" The cousin shouted with insulting glee.

"Do I get to punch this one?" Yang added backing her sister up.

"Vera. I do not mean to be rude, but I think you will find it a very good idea to leave. Your father is likely waiting for you at the gate." Zawisza cut in, sliding between all of them ever the peace keeper. It was enough to convince Vera to scoff and walk away. She was always the spoiled child; all the wealth and luxury Weiss was born into without any of the struggle produced such a thing.

"Why is everyone in your family a jerk?" Blake asked monotone as always, the black cat unsurprisingly unimpressed with the family.

"I'm not that bad." Weiss replied defensively, which earned her a raised eyebrow from Blake. "Shut up!" Weiss let out feeling her face go red at the silent accusation.

"Well everyone never mind that. Your rooms are on the left, in the order of Miss Rose, Miss Belladonna and Miss Long. At the end of the hall we have lovely Lady Weiss' room. I've already unpacked your things so feel free to relax and be at home here. If you need anything just call for me, I'll come as soon as I can." Zawisza explained politely taking a stage bow as he finished. The rooms were all nicely laid out, though identical and all keeping to the monochrome white and black style of Castle White. Each had a massive bed, full baths and balcony, so truly they were the nicest rooms one could find in Winterstown. For a trap this was a rather luxurious trap.

"Tell me Zawisza, do you enjoy spying on us and going through our things?" Blake asked taking note of the secondary reason for him being the one to unpack everyone's things. Weiss couldn't decide whether to be mad at Zawisza, proud that Blake caught it, or ashamed that the Heiresses family ordered it.

"Well I can say I did enjoy your literature. It is delightfully heretical, though be careful you might be showing your hand too early by leaving out such...interesting examinations on romantic affairs." Zawisza replied without missing a single beat, smiling wildly as Blake turned red with embarrassment. It was impressive how well he could flip a conversation on its head so quickly. Weiss had to admit it made her a little more interested in exactly what Blake was hiding in her smutting novels.

"These rooms are awesome! Alright I'ma play spin the bottle to celebrate, who is with me!?" Yang announced from her room, easily forgetting the troubles of the night and settling in with her weekend trip. That was fine, Weiss had to leave, so let them be foolish. It was time to see her Father.

"Yang...two of us are a couple, all of us are girls and one is your sister. Do you really want to play?" She heard Blake reply as Weiss began towards the stairs again.

"Oh wow, yeah what was I thinking, nice call Blake." Yang answered faint, so faint the sound of footsteps outmatched it.

"Where are you going Weiss?" It was Ruby the sweet girl running after Weiss.

"To see if I can't beat my father."

"Father may I come in?" The office was chill by now, night setting in. The color was mostly dark and with some light from the moon, a small steady fire and father's Scroll. There was little sound besides the chiming of the music boxes Father seemed so in love with. Weiss had never liked this place, nor the discussions she had with father here. When she was little it was nice, she could sit at Father's feet as he worked, eventually though the silence became unbearable. Nothing is lonelier than two people in a room not speaking.

"Yes, I assume you have come here about the bankert?" He did not bother to turn or look back, Father instead stayed focused on his scroll issuing some sort of corporate edict. The choice of words was irritable to Weiss. The constant insistence of Ruby being a bastard while perhaps accurate was just a trick to get the Heiress mad and she knew it.

"Don't call her that...Her name is Ruby Rose." The worst part is despite knowing that, it worked like a charm.

"Yes and she is a bankert." He called her a bastard as easily as one calls water clear or the moon silver. Weiss began to feel her anger flare though she held her tongue. The silence finally caught Father's attention. He turned to look at Weiss, expression unamused "Will calling her something else alleviate that stain from her? Pleasantries are nothing, but comforting lies. Her life will not become easier due to them." He spoke with shockingly soft confidence for such a cruel person; it took a kind of egotism that Weiss despised. Mostly because she saw herself as becoming much the same recently.

"You once said everything has a price. I...I want to make a deal with you. You're a man of business so let's do it that way Father. What can I trade for Beacon?" Weiss could not fully choke down her pride. She instead thought Father would respond better to someone willing to barter rather than beg. At first it seemed true, his eyes widened a little in surprised, though his expression simply said '_I see.' _The balding man slim and tall as he was seemed to chew on Weiss' words comfortable letting his daughter wait on him. Just when Weiss would begin to feel like maybe this could work out, reason could win him over, the music box stopped playing and Father opened his mouth to speak.

"And pray tell what child do you have to offer that I do not own? Everything you are belongs to me, the title of huntress was my training and my weapon, the very clothes on your back I paid for, are by definition mine. Weiss my child you have nothing."

"I have my word. I could promise you that. You want this family to win the next Vytal Competition, I can do it. I can make number one on the charts at Beacon, I'll beat them all if I have to. I can win and I will bring fame and recognition to this family, just like I did when I sang. I'll start back that too. Is that not worth letting me have just one thing." Ruby would understand if she sacrificed their dates and time together for practice. They could spend that time sparring together or Weiss could practice singing while she watched. It didn't matter they would still be together. Weiss would promise the world and see it through for that. She didn't want to be alone ever again. "The one thing Father is the freedom to see her. Give me that one thing. I deserve it after everything you've put me through!"

Silence filled the room after that, after Weiss felt her temper get the better of her. She had just said one thing she never should have. Her Father clenched his teeth so tight at this he seemed close to shattering them. Red colored his cheeks and fire burned in his eyes. Even the fireplace flame seemed to flare with anger.

"You deserve it? You are spoiled! I have given you every little thing you desired and you have squandered it all without a care." He stood as he shouted, taking a step closer to Weiss with every word. Each step his anger became almost sadness, his voice grew quieter and with a shake of the head he speak again. "The cruelest part, I would have agreed to that if I believed for a second you would keep your word. You are a meek and cowardly child. At first you wanted to become a botanist, I bought you the best teachers and equipment there was. Then you wanted to sing, I had you classically trained by former masters and used my pool of influence to get you high end performances. Each time you quit when faced with the slightest pressure and strain." Weiss watched her Father grimace once more, eyes looking sadder than she had ever seen him, voice nearly a whisper at the words he started to speak again.

"Then a Huntress. I remember when you defeated the armored guardian. Despite all my grief that day, I was never more proud of you. Not when you sold out your final concert, not when you built that garden all that was a shadow on the wall compared to that moment. I was proud because you came back to me blooded and beaten yet asked to leave for Beacon. You didn't give in." Weiss felt her body be drained at the sound of the word proud, like a leech to all her strength. Proud was something her Father never was. The Heiress' best was always just 'acceptable;' to him. It was a thirst so dry she forgot she had it. "And now I've watched you over the last few months steadily drop in all your classes as you abandon being a huntress for another fleeting passion."

Weiss felt a lot of things in that small moonstone office. The fireplace's heat grew unbearable as did her anger. There was a moment when all she wanted to do was stab him, ruin him for all the cruel things he had done and said to Weiss, her mother, Ruby, everyone. Another was a deep sense of failure. Ruby was going to be taken from her and she had already lost her Father's pride without even knowing it was there. As cold air from the window twisted with the warped air heated by the fire so did her two emotions mix. The result of which was something in all her pride and ferocity, Weiss never thought she would do. With a proper bow and hateful shame, she begged.

"Father, I beg of you to give me a chance to prove myself capable. I'm sorry I failed you and my family. Give me this chance to go to Beacon, give me it not just for Ruby, but for you and mother. I am not perfect, but I can be so much more with her than without. Let me show you. Please father I beg of you…" Weiss did not move to look back up, but stayed still awaiting the response. She wanted to scream, to be so low as to beg for it, but for once in her life this was worth more than her pride. RWBY, her home in Beacon. Her work as a huntress in training, it was more than just Ruby.

"Never beg child…Not you, not a Schnee." Weiss expected anger from those words, but Father's expression as she looked up was so melancholy, like an echo of something from long ago. "You will be great one day, you have a future. I will do what I can to assist you in becoming a huntress." His voice marked it, the 'but' was coming. "However, Beacon and the… Rose girl is out of the question." He grimaced at his own words, turning away from Weiss and back to his fire, the flame giving him a thin red outline. "You are too young and her family is our bane. You will understand better one day when you sit in my chair on the board, when you must carry the weight of the nation. Vale is a fire, a fire surrounded by the darkness of grimm. We are the keepers of that fire. Our dust keeps it aflame. As miners sacrifice health we do our freedom. When you are older, if you continue to prefer the feminine, your mother and I will look for a husband with a similar….issue. That way the will be more understanding of your proclivities. Then after you have a child, you will be free to consort with any manner of women."

"So that's it then? You won't even give me a chance? You just want to uproot me over a grudge you won't even explain!" That was it, Father had mocked any deal that would have been made, shamed Weiss for begging and now wanted to lecture her on duty to the family. She had enough of this. Enough of his games his mockery.

"Yes. Enjoy the weekend for what it's worth." Father found himself the seat, his eyes locked on to the flame, the balding silver hair all that Weiss was allowed to see of his face. "You are my legacy Weiss. You will inherit all the wealthy and responsibility I have. When that comes you will have to steel yourself. No more crying now, it's unsightly. Goodnight."

Weiss did not need to wish him goodnight. Silence was all she would offer him. Filled with fury and vile feelings she left him to sit in his moonstone office. She didn't want him or any of this his schemes or responsibility. Weiss toyed with the idea of disowning herself out of nothing, but spite. Of course she wouldn't, but the look on his face. It would have been priceless.

It was only outside that Weiss began to realize she had been crying. She had long ago learned to do it silently and for the most part not at all, but these hot tears were of anger. '_How dare he, how could he, how can he_' and all other spiteful childish things. In truth it was easy; he had the power and authority to do so. Weiss had nothing. She for all her combat expertise and training was completely powerless. _'Damn him.'  
-++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++_

The walk back to her room had luckily been devoid of any people or distractions, instead only silent robotic guards watching. They were soulless and could not judge her. Sure Weiss had stopped crying the moment she felt the tears on her cheek, but the redness of her eyes and heat off her burning cheeks, the way she grinded her teeth in irritation. Yes there was no subtlety left to her and anyone left in this moonstone prison could see it.

That luck ended at her room door. Dressed in the same pajamas as school, bobbing her head to the personalized rose branded headphones was the aforementioned center of this whole night. The lovely idiot Ruby Rose. Emotions already high, Weiss felt a mixture of longing and frustration knowing she would get to spend time with Ruby, but with a bruised pride and red eyes, though it was her loneliness that won out though and so Weiss walked over tapping Ruby to wake her from the musical dream.

"Weiss!" Ruby shouted with a smile, tackling Weiss. That same panicky claustrophobia hit her, but at this point that had begun to become bearable.

"Ruby, you're blocking the way to my room." Weiss mumbled in a pout, feeling the need to be spoiled with Ruby, to be all prideful and pretend to be nothing, but a unmovable statue. She wanted to be the tough girl again, the one not so easily shaken by her Father's nature.

"Oh yeah, I wanted to see your room!" Ruby replied releasing Weiss from her thick embrace. She seemed completely unaffected by today's news, like this was Beacon and not a giant trap. Like they were not going to be separated in just a few short days.

"Okay, but only for a moment!" Weiss allowed, opening the fine wooden door to her bedroom. Inside it remained just the same as before, perfectly preserved in this Ice fortress by her mother. The bed was the same massive monstrosity of stuffed animals and finely folded crisp white sheets. Such a waste. A few other oddities like her old recording equipment set up in the soundproofed closet, a few side chairs and drawers, but it all kept to one theme. The room was as monochrome as the entire structure; the only real deviation from the white and black pattern was the large mirror in front of her bed, an old family relic tailored in gold, and the balcony garden which was a flood of colors, the flowers fully coming to life in spring.

"Oh wow! It's huge!" Ruby shouted running through her room quickly jumping on the bed, rolling off and taking half of the cast of stuffed animals with her, and finally stepping out to the balcony, the true center piece of the room. "Is that a garden?!" Ruby added running her hands across the custom heating and cooling system.

"Yes, just be careful and don't touch anything you dolt, you're liable to blow us all up messing with dust heating system!" Weiss ordered, never forgetting the explosion that marked Ruby's rather unsightly introduction.

"This is so cool! The roses are so pretty." Ruby called out ignoring Weiss entirely. Stepping out the mixed cool evening air greeted her, the heaters turned down for the spring. The balcony was always her favorite place at Castle White. A single respite in this insufferable place.

"They are actually growing properly now that spring is here, in the winter it was just the one stubborn one growing on the heater." Weiss noted examining the original flower which now grew large red and vibrant next to the smaller new ones she had asked mother to add when the seasons changed. Ruby chuckled at this with a goofy grin, looking shyly at Weiss. "Don't even compare yourself, it's cuter and you are certainly more stubborn." Weiss added pouting slightly and looking over the sky."

"Liar." Ruby whispered with a blush touching her fingers gently to Weiss. At first the Heiress resisted, but the touch was warm and sweet. Against her own pride she acquiesced and let Ruby's thin fingers cross with hers.

"So where are the others?" Weiss asked wanting to say something as the two of them stood together looking over the lights of winters down between the castle's flying buttresses. The air was warm enough though the snow freely flew in from the open balcony, the last snows of spring. So reminiscent of one of the most satisfying winters of Weiss' life despite all the dramatics.

"Playing Pajama poker." Ruby replied, her own eyes entranced by the city below smiling at the beautiful mix of modern industry and Vale's feudal past. It only occurred to Weiss now how immense a view this must seem to her and how mundane it had become to Weiss.

"Pajama poker?" Weiss asked wondering if she even wanted to know.

"Yang and Blake made it up, it's like strip poker, but you're just switching over to pajamas in front of everyone." Ruby explained not thinking about the fact that she was in pajamas right now. The bite of jealousy was clouding Weiss' mind at the realization that Ruby must have been very bad at poker.

"So does that mean Blake saw you nak-"

"No no no! I changed in my room as soon as you left!" Ruby shouted back waving her hands in embarrassment, the redness in her cheeks

"You promise." Weiss couldn't seem to lose the jealousy and instead preferred to act like a child, pouting at the slightest threat. She reserved that right for just one night. It wouldn't be long till...

"Yeah." Was all Ruby had to say back to ease the stupid envy and let their hands come together again.

"Why were you in such a hurry anyways?" Weiss asked returning her gaze back to the city lights. The snow was starting to get heavy again, the evening getting cooler and cooler as it went on. Weiss didn't mind it though. She didn't feel cold like this.

"Wanted to be there when you got back." The answer was simple enough though it made Weiss fill a bit embarrassed and guilty.

"You don't have to wait on me dunc-"

"Why were you crying?" Ruby cut her off turning serious for a moment. Looking up at Weiss with a rare confidence the crimson huntress rarely expressed out of battle. It looked like the redness in the heiress' eyes gave her away.

"I wasn't crying." Weiss lied.

"Liar." And Ruby caught it.

"I just, I was arguing with my Father…He won't change his mind." Weiss admitted, feeling the strange heaviness of failure. She had meant to end everything come back, and be Ruby's hero who fixed it all. Instead it looked like the conversation had seemed only to solidified Father's decision to separate them

"We'll fix it." Ruby did her best to be assuring, facing Weiss directly and grasping both her hands tightly.

"Ruby-" Weiss started, but Ruby stopped her, reaching up and kissing her gently on the lips, the taste of it sudden and sharp. The garden smelled of her and made it all the more intoxicating an experience for Weiss. _'Wow she is getting bolder.' _

"We will fix it." Ruby finished, lowering herself from the kiss, face blush and bright. Her eyes shifted in all directions, but at Weiss. Perhaps not as bold as the Heiress thought, but definitely bolder. A moment passed in mostly stillness, eventually though Weiss knew it was time to part. She needed sleep for whatever trouble her family might have in store for them

"I need to change and go to sleep. Do you mind stepping out?" Weiss asked finally, taking a step back from Ruby, to which the crimson huntress immediately stepped back into position.

"Yes." She mumbled getting close enough to meekly hug Weiss, the redness still painted on her cheeks.

"Ruby don't be a pain." Weiss let out with a groan, not wanting to argue with Ruby when she was trying to act cute. _'Manipulation I swear!'_

"I don't wanna, just change I'll turn around" Ruby begged spinning herself right around to the snow and lights of Winterstown. Weiss groaned, but her girlfriend did not move an inch. Knowing full well it was inevitable; Weiss finally let out a massive "hmph" and stomped over to her dresser.

"Don't you dare look or I will. Kill. You." Weiss commanded, turning herself away from Ruby so even if she did look it would only be her back and well…. The thought made the paleness of her skin turn a little dark. Nervously she changed, like she had a million times before in front of Ruby, but this had been the first time as a couple. It was really odd how much of a difference that made. The pajamas she wore were the same as school, but a bit more loose fitting as before, she even wore a matching set of undergarments she switched to so fast Ruby might have a hard time beating the record. Silky and comfortable to wear. Something Weiss valued in nightwear. Finally she let her hair lose, the lengthy strains reaching all the way to her legs. Sometimes she wondered who had the longest hair. Her or Yang.

"I'm done." Weiss announced, turning around to see a very very red Ruby, eyes looking every way like the guilty child she most certainly was. "You did not!?" Weiss shouted face turning a matching red, but of anger. Ruby didn't say anything; instead she looked down shrugging silently and nodding a nearly invisible yes. "Ugh, I never thought you would be a creep!" Ruby mouthed back 'I'm sorry' Weiss groaned again, this time with a shake of her head and crashing onto her bed. "I'll forgive you tomorrow. Go to bed."

"Can...can I sleep with you?" Ruby asked and Weiss replied with a shocked look and the widest eyes she could have. Very rarely was the Heiress surprised beyond being mad, but this was it. '_Yeah too bold too fast.' _Ruby seemed to catch on Weiss's interpretation and turned the same color as her heart pajamas. "No not like that! I'm like way too young and like I don't even know where to start. I was never told how it would even work,. I mean I should wait till I'm at least 16 or something? That's a good year right-"

"Yes you may." Weiss answered not sure as to which question it was really meant for in the heat of the moment, but either way she had in practice agreed to cuddle and that's it. Sliding into bed Weiss wrapped herself in covers, strangely nervous knowing Ruby was going to move in next to her. They had cuddled before, but not in a bed. That was so weirdly specific. Without noticing it Ruby had moved into her side of the bed, sliding herself over to Weiss, the space between the, growing thin.

"Sorry Weiss." Ruby whispered into the Heiresses ear, urging her to turn on her back and look at Ruby. The crimson huntress quickly took the opening and dancing under the covers she slide herself on top of Weiss. Using her arms to prop herself up, Ruby's hands were placed on either side of Weiss' face locking them both in. Weiss could feel the heat off of Ruby, the closeness and it felt strangely intense. Maybe a bit too much so, yet Weiss didn't want to escape no matter how much her fear of touch struck her. "I won't let him take you away...I won't lose anyone else. I promise."

"Ruby I-" Weiss never finished, instead her lips were blocked by another, another's whom was riddled with fire. Quickly, Weiss' hands found their place at the back of Ruby's neck and the small of her back, not to move or shift. They kept kissing, more and more intensely. More so than Weiss would normally be okay with, but the moment it felt right like dancing with the flame. Just like the dance by moonlight, though this one was in the dark, in private. A much more personal dance that needed no music.

They kissed like that for a while, though they never moved beyond that. It might have for anyone else, but Ruby was too innocent and Weiss too sensible. Her girlfriend was right. She was too young for that yet especially considering the approaching fate. It was almost easy to forget though, in the moment. While they did nothing new, Weiss became more intimately aware of the nuances in the taste of Ruby's tongue and the feel of them together. Eventually Ruby just nuzzled into Weiss' neck and found sleep.

Weiss had no such luck.

Now the rose festered in her, the thorny stem around her heart encumbering it, heavy with foolish wants and desires. Weiss had to remove it, cut out the beloved infestation of Ruby's affections from her. Laying together, Weiss did not feel the awkwardness from touch, it was so irrelevant for once. Now she fixated on her vice's little breaths. Sweet Ruby laying there sleeping lightly, arms around Weiss, not letting go. Weiss stroked her soft crimson-black hair and felt a feeling she had almost forgotten. Loneliness.

Now it was different. Such a sweet, selfless, stupid, splendid, superb girl. Ruby had melted the frost Weiss lined her feelings with. Dolt. It was Weiss' shield, her defense from the abyss, but now it was cracked. Weiss had felt what it was like to not be alone, felt that wonderful bliss, now it would become an endless thirst. Ruby was the sweetest apple Weiss had ever eaten, but for all the sweetness it was poison. Now it was time to put her away forever.

No not now...there was still tomorrow and the next day...just a few more bites of the apple.

*****Wow that was fun, l got to lace a bunch of stuff from AV in here that hasn't even happened yet :D Sorry about the long wait, I ended up going on vacation followed by a kind of break up all put on top of me getting super sick for like two or three weeks. D: But I'm back to normal (Except I'm still sick.) I was not in a great place when writing some of this chapter, hopefully that helped it more than hurt it? **

**For those desiring blood so patiently, I'm sorry this chapter must be a disappointment. XD There will be fighting before the end, but it's not the main focus, Fight scenes in books are subpar so I find a scene of people talking is worth three scenes of people dying. **

**Also props to Kuri for allowing me to reference White Rose of Vermillion, 'cus nothing would please me more than pretending it exists in the same universe as the Vale series. Also Vera only has like a 15% chance of ever showing up again in a future chapter, I just wanted to show a character whom both illustrated the internal threats Weiss faces and the idea of what Weiss would have likely grown up to be like without the strain of responsibility over her head. Now that she has done that I have no use for her. So enjoy her :D**

**Thanks again to A-rav for edits.**


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